Sociology and Politics of High Schools Activism in Afghanistan

The educational sector is a very important aspect of state-building; arguably studying education in Afghanistan has been neglected. One key assumption of donors in Afghanistan is that the quantitative growth in the offer of state education is always good and that the number of students graduating from high schools is an unmistakably positive indicator. Is this however always the case? There is anecdotal evidence that the lack of employment prospects and dissatisfaction about how Afghan state and society are run are driving a frustrated high school youth towards radical and extremist groups.

Because schools are a primary vehicle for conveying national and civic education to the youth, education is a very political subject.

The project would identify a number of district cases studies across Afghanistan. In these districts students would be interviewed to assess:

• Whether they have any political and social inclination, even embryonic;

• How aware they are of political debates going on in Afghanistan, and what position they take within those debates;

• Whether teachers and student activists are active in high schools, spreading ideas and views and proselytizing;

• What political groups are active in the high schools, and what is their political orientation;

• What factors drive recruitment into these political groups?