Two parallel educational systems function in Afghanistan. orthodox Islamic madrassa found in towns and villages teach children basic moral values and rite knowledge through the study of the Holy Koran, the Hadith, and popular edited religious texts. Higher level madrassa located in Herat, Kunduz, Ghazni, Kandahar and Kabul were known as valuable learning centers. Leading religious leaders also attended famous madrassa in India such as the renowned establishment located at Deoband.

In 1935, education was declared universal, compulsory and free. With its development, the secular system came to be regarded as the principle medium for creating a national ideology and emphasized productive skills while effectively limiting Islamic studies to rite knowledge. By the 1960s, technical education assumed critical importance because of the surge in development. Since 1978, a steady decline has all but demolished the educational infrastructure. Afghanistan in 1996 had the highest illiteracy rate in Asia, for both men and women.