Half of Afghan Military Forces Won't Achieve 1st Grade Literacy Level by 2012

ISAF “estimates that the 1st grade literacy level of enlisted soldiers and policeman [together known as the ANSF] will rise from 14 percent to over 50 percent in the next ten months,” states the congressionally mandated report, which covers progress in Afghanistan from the beginning of October 2010 through the end of March 2011.

That means that the illiteracy rate among the ANSF recruits is expected to drop from 86 percent to 50 percent by January 2012, ten months from the end of March 2011.

The ISAF training mission in Afghanistan will build on the 1st grade literacy level foundation “to develop more advanced levels of curriculum that will enhance the education level of ANSF and support more difficult requirements of the enabler force, such as medical and logistics,” the report stated.  

According to the DOD report, which was released last month, illiteracy remains a “key challenge” to having a self-reliant and professional Afghan National Security Force (ANSF), which is essential for the U.S. withdrawal and transition of security tasks to Afghanistan that is expected to commence this July.

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