OREANDA-NEWS  The Afghan authorities hope for Russia's help in developing the education system in the country, Acting Minister of Education of Afghanistan Syed Habibullah Agha said at the forum of Ministers of Education in Kazan.

"We ask you to help us in the field of education, in schools, in educational materials, so that Afghanistan can achieve everything and have a good educational system in the country," he said.

According to him, Afghanistan already has significant progress and positive changes in the field of education.

"Currently, under the auspices of our ministry, about 10 million students, 3.5 million of whom are girls, study in public and private schools and madrassas. These students are taught by 300 thousand teachers, 30% of whom are women, who teach primary school students," added Syed Habibullah Agha.

In this regard, Russian Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov called for giving children the best. "There are children living in every country and we must think first of all about them. Of course, we need to help and give the best to children," Kravtsov said.

The head of the Russian Business Center in Afghanistan, Rustam Khabibullin, told Interfax that the new government of Afghanistan is forming educational programs for secondary and higher education.

"They are studying the systems of different countries. Russia has the opportunity to promote its education system there. Because today it is considered the best in the world. If Russia is interested in this, then it is necessary not to delay, and already begin to implement it," Khabibullin added.

The International Forum of Ministers of Education "Shaping the Future" is being held in Kazan for the second time. The event is organized by the Ministry of Education of Russia, the Government of Tatarstan and the Foundation for the Support of the Humanities "My Story". More than 100 representatives from more than 40 countries are participating in the two-day forum. Among them are the states of Asia, Africa and Latin America, the BRICS and CIS member countries. A delegation of the Taliban is also present at the forum in Kazan (the Taliban is a terrorist organization banned in Russia).

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, after the United States and its coalition allies, as well as the government they supported, left Afghanistan after a 20-year military presence.

The UN has repeatedly criticized the Taliban for non-respect for human rights, including for the restrictions faced by women in the field of education. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk noted that Afghanistan is the only country in the world where women and girls are denied access to secondary and higher education.