Afghan higher education minister happy with university entrance exam results

Kabul, March 28, 2007 (The Kabul Times): Higher Education Minister Dr Azam Dadfar is satisfied with the results of the university entry examinations in geographic centres.

According to him, from 57,000 contestants, 23,000 have passed out while 204 who had resorted to cheating in one way or another were rejected.

Dadfar said the university entry examination had been institutionalized in Afghanistan. The constitution grants every Afghan youth the right to higher education.

Also, each youth has the same rights as the others. The minister advised parents to encourage their children to further their studies.

He added that 15,000 of the contestants with the US, UK and Indian authorities to grant scholarships to Afghan bright youths for further studies.

The minister also said that he had contacted the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to help provide jobs for university graduates.

Now the point is that there is a university in each big city in Afghanistan and the total graduates will soon reach thousands while all of them expect the government to provide them with jobs.

On the other hand administrative reforms require downsizing each government agency and raising the salaries of officials who succeed in competition.

Therefore, all these agencies will shrink in the near future. The only room left for university graduates would be the private sector.

The situation requires the speeding up of more and larger investments but that would depend on the amelioration of security.

There is hope that the Taleban will soon be crushed with Islamabad's recent actions in Waziristan.

The fighting that took place in Northern Waziristan this month between the Uzbeks led by Tahir Yuldash and local tribesmen was a turning point in the hospitality accorded the strangers.

At any rate, now that we are gearing to free market economy, the government should declare that it is no longer responsible for providing the university graduates and others with job. They must be groomed for the private sector. A vocational training centre in already operational in Kabul, but only for labourers.

All universities should concentrate on English, computer science and management so that graduates be absorbed by the private sector.