Minister Ploumen (middle) talks with deputy director Ayesha Sabri. Photo: NAEC
Minister Ploumen visited the National Agricultural Education College (NAEC) together with a delegation of the Dutch embassy. She talked with deputy director Ayesha Sabri, several teachers and female students of the teacher training programme. Ploumen also visited the NAEC in March 2013. She was happy to visit the NAEC again and to be able to see the progress. ‘It is good that you focus on the agricultural sector in Afghanistan. Because you work with local materials and work low tech, the students can later also use these methods and techniques in their provinces’, says Ploumen.
The agricultural teacher training programme was setup in the past five years, assisted by the Center for Development Innovation (CDI) of Wageningen UR. NAEC opened its doors in the beginning of 2012. This year they are employing about 40 teachers and around 700 students will start their study. Of the two year programme 450 students have graduated, of which about 20 percent were women. The students are prepared to teach at agricultural vocational (mbo) schools throughout Afghanistan. The CDI also helped to develop teaching material for these vocational (mbo) schools.
Until now the Dutch ministery of Foreign Affairs and Economic Affairs allocated 21,6 million euros for the teacher training programme and the development of the agricultural education in Afghanistan. The subsequent financing is being negotiated.
