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23 IN FOCUS For Muzhda in Kabul, training as a vocational teacher was merely an interim step. ‘I would like to work more hours, not only in the mornings,’ she says. She hopes to get a job in a bank some day, so she is attending evening classes at a private university. Her aim is to obtain a Bachelor’s degree. And she is prepared to move abroad to take a Master’s – Afghan universities do not offer postgraduate courses. Jobs in Afghanistan’s public sector are not particularly well- paid, but at least it’s a regular wage. With support from in- ternational donors, the country is now in the process of ex- panding its network of vocational colleges. The aim is to ensure that by 2020, 20 per cent of young people in each year group have access to vocational training; at present, the figure is just 4 per cent. But in Afghanistan, a voca- tional college is very different from its German counter- part: the teachers lack practical skills, there are no training workshops, and many schools don’t even have an electricity supply. Cooperation with industry is an alien concept. Technical standards in businesses are often very low as well. As the owner of a car repair shop in Kabul explains: ‘We can only repair cars built before 1995. With the newer models, we fix one part and ruin three others.’ A potential solution: vocational training Muzhda comes from a privileged family. Her father works at the Ministry of Education and her mother is a teacher. More than two thirds of the Afghan people work in agri- culture. While the Taliban were in power, Muzhda’s par- ents arranged for her to be educated in secret. It was only in 2014 that Afghanistan celebrated its first cohort of girls to complete a full course of schooling: the fall of the Taliban regime meant that they were able to attend school for 12 years relatively unhindered. Over time, this will reduce the country’s illiteracy rate, currently one of the highest in the world – around 50 per cent of men and 90 per cent of women in Afghanistan cannot read or write. Occupations requiring formal training are now being established with international support. The Afghan Government has a very positive attitude towards these initiatives, for it considers that better voca- tional training also offers an opportunity to close young people’s ears to the siren call of extremism. Around one million young Afghans scrape a living as casual labourers. However, a young person who acquires technical and com- mercial skills and takes citizenship classes has no reason to join the Taliban – at least, that’s what policy-makers hope. The Ministry of Education even broadcasts advertisements for vocational schools on TV. » Malala Yousafzai stood up for her right to an education – and almost paid with her life. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate from Pakistan tells her story in ‘I Am Malala’. Published by W&N, 320 pages. Politicians and their young constituents The difference in the average age of politicians and the electorate is immense – and can cause social discord. IndiA 40 years Jordan 43 years United Kingdom 12 years Sources: United Nations, CIA – The World Factbook, Guardian, Telefónica Africa’s demographic challenge Like many African countries, Nigeria’s age structure is tilted sharply towards the younger generations. This offers opportu nities as well as challenges, and contrasts with the European Union, which has a declining birth rate. Nigeria 100+ 95-99 90-94 85-89 80-84 75-79 70-74 65-69 60-64 55-59 50-54 45-49 40-44 35-39 30-34 25-29 20-24 15-19 10-14 5-9 0-4 Age 15 1512 129 96 63 30 0 Population in millions European Union 100+ 95-99 90-94 85-89 80-84 75-79 70-74 65-69 60-64 55-59 50-54 45-49 40-44 35-39 30-34 25-29 20-24 15-19 10-14 5-9 0-4 Age 1518 15 1812 129 96 63 30 0 Population in millions 1515121299663300 15181518121299663300