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Afghan Education Shows Progress Amid the Rubble

Afghanistan suffered another blow to its campaign to rebuild its ravaged school system last week when a rocket exploded on the grounds of a school in Asadabad, killing six children. But the spate of recent attacks on schools, teachers, and students has not threatened plans to open up educational opportunities for all children, especially girls, throughout the Southern Asian nation, observers say.

U.S. agencies, private donors, and international aid organizations have reported marked headway in building new schools, recruiting and training teachers, and providing basic instructional materials. And demand for education throughout much of the country has exceeded expectations.

“More than 4.3 million children are enrolled in schools; about 40 percent of those are girls,” said Hassan Mohamed, a senior technical adviser on education for CARE, a humanitarian organization. “That is significant progress since when the Taliban was in power, and in the history of the whole country, … we have never...