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Millions of Afghan Children Out of School; Ghani Faces Backlash Over Disputed
Remarks

Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD - The World Bank says almost half of Afghanistan's 18,000
   schools lack proper buildings and an estimated 3.7 million children are
   still out of the classroom despite massive investment in the education
   sector.
   The bank's country director Sunday urged Afghan leaders to invest more
   in their people and stressed the need for continued international aid
   to create better lives for millions of people in the war-ravaged
   nation.
   Data from 2013 shows that 93 percent of 10-year-old Afghan children
   cannot read and understand a simple text when they finish primary
   school, said Henry Kerali in a statement.
   "This is higher than the average for the South Asia region (59%) and
   Afghanistan's income group peers (91%)," he said.
   "Afghanistan also lags far behind in reducing gender gaps, especially
   in the education and health sectors. Currently, 67 percent of boys
   compared to 48 percent of girls are enrolled in school," Kerali said.

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