Qatar vs Afghanistan
Side-by-side comparison of how these places approach childhood.
Qatar
In Qatar, 90% of children attend private international schools โ the public system serves mainly nationals.
With expatriates comprising over 85% of the population, a vast private school ecosystem has emerged offering British, American, Indian, and other curricula alongside the Arabic-language public system.
Afghanistan
Since 2021, Afghan girls over 12 are banned from attending school.
The Taliban's return ended two decades of progress in girls' education, affecting 1.4 million secondary-school girls.
Qatar
Compulsory education begins at age 6. Public schools teach in Arabic with gender segregation. Private international schools offer diverse curricula โ IB, British, American, Indian, and Filipino systems. Education City in Doha hosts branch campuses of major Western universities.
Afghanistan
Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, girls above grade 6 are banned from school and women from universities. Boys' education continues but with revised curriculum emphasizing religious studies. Before 2021, enrollment had risen from near-zero for girls to 3.5 million.
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