Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has said more than 20,000 religious schools are operating across Afghanistan, providing Islamic education to more than two million students nationwide.
Mujahid added that the schools operate under the Ministry of Education and made the remarks during a speech at a religious school in Kandahar.
“This is a very large number,” Mujahid told a gathering of madrassa students in Kandahar, adding that estimates showed more than two million people were currently enrolled in religious education programmes nationwide.
The Taliban have not publicly released detailed data on so-called jihadist religious schools, but the Ministry of Education has previously said at least one such school with a capacity of more than 1,000 students had been established in each province.
The expansion of religious schools has accelerated since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, as universities and secondary schools for girls remain closed and restrictions on modern education have increased.
Some analysts and residents have voiced concern over the growing number of religious schools, warning of potential social and security implications. Critics say the Taliban are prioritising religious education over modern subjects such as science, medicine and engineering, which they argue are essential for the country’s long-term development.
Taliban say their education policies are in line with Islamic principles and Afghan traditions, a stance that has drawn sustained criticism from rights groups and foreign governments, particularly over the continued exclusion of women and girls from education beyond primary school.
