Amid the ongoing ban on girls’ education beyond the sixth grade, the Taliban claims that more than 1.4 million new students have enrolled in public and private schools across Afghanistan over the past year.
According to the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Education, 18,337 public and private schools are currently operational throughout the country.
The ministry reports that 316 new schools—106 public and 210 private—were established within the last year. Additionally, 152 primary schools were upgraded to middle schools, and 119 middle schools were elevated to high school status.
Ministry statistics also indicate that 123 schools and 159 local classes have been designated for children from nomadic communities, with 41,824 students currently attending.
Over the past year, the ministry claims to have administered proficiency exams to 20,000 students who graduated from religious schools inside and outside Afghanistan.
Taliban officials also report the printing and distribution of more than 16 million textbooks for grades one through 12, along with 617,978 textbooks for Islamic education centers and 294,641 books for literacy programs.
The Taliban has also prohibited girls from attending universities and participating in entrance exams. UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural and educational agency, warned last month that if the Taliban’s restrictions on girls’ education continue through 2030, more than four million Afghan girls could be left without access to schooling.
Some students have voiced concerns that the Taliban has removed science subjects from the curriculum, replacing them with Islamic studies and subjects aligned with its ideology.
Reports also suggest that the Taliban has focused heavily on establishing jihadist schools. Since returning to power, it has opened hundreds of such institutions across the country under various names but with similar religious content.
In another significant break from the policies of the previous government, the Taliban has banned school uniforms, once mandatory for students. Male students report being barred from entering school if they wear uniforms, which the Taliban has declared “forbidden.”
Many Taliban members received their education in religious schools in Pakistan during the insurgency against the former Afghan government.
Since seizing control, the Taliban’s approach to education has faced criticism from political analysts and civil society activists, who describe it as “extremist” and at odds with the values of the people of the country.
