Findings by Amu TV reveal that several private schools in Kabul and various provinces have transformed into madrassas and are now admitting female students. However, subjects such as physics and chemistry have been removed from their curriculum.
Amu identified four schools in Herat and another four in Kabul, where owners have obtained licenses from the Taliban’s Islamic Education Department.
These schools admit girls above the ninth grade but with a one-year downgrade in their classes.
However, sources suggest that the actual number of such schools is higher. The Taliban-run Ministry of Education declined to provide exact figures.
Some teachers at these schools report that from seventh to ninth grade, subjects like physics, mathematics, and chemistry are marginalized, condensed into a single chapter, while in grades ten to twelve, these subjects are completely omitted in favor of religious studies.
Several teachers, speaking on condition of anonymity, assert that the Taliban are attempting to present an image to the world that girls are attending schools when, in reality, these institutions are madrassas.
Teachers indicate that from seventh to ninth grade, secular subjects are minimized and taught briefly, while there is an increased focus on religious subjects such as Arabic, grammar, Quranic recitation, and logic. In the higher grades, girls only study religious subjects.
“We used to teach many subjects in our school, including the Quran, biology, chemistry, physics, English, and computer skills. None of these are available in the madrassa,” One teacher told Amu.
Some citizens believe the Taliban are creating conditions that lead to the exclusion of girls from secular education.
The conversion of private schools into madrassas with the Taliban’s cooperation has taken place across various provinces, but the exact number remains unclear.
Many girls now attend madrassas where the curriculum in grades nine, ten, and eleven focuses primarily on religious subjects.
Some girls studying in these madrassas believe that a madrassa cannot replace a school.
Schools that have not changed their signs still teach religious subjects to students above the sixth grade.
Sources in Herat have indicated that four private schools in the province are involved in this practice.
Marzia, a former tenth-grade student, still hopes for schools to reopen, believing that without education, her future and that of thousands of other students will be bleak.
“I was in the tenth grade. It has been three years since our schools closed. I used to be top of my class. Since the schools closed, I have been stuck at home, feeling depressed,” she mentioned.
Another student, Beheshta, shared her concerns with Amu, “After the schools closed, we were all confined to our homes. We don’t have the financial means to attend private schools or educational centers. It has been three years since I went to school, and I am really worried about our future.”
Previously, some media outlets reported that 41 private schools in Kabul were teaching girls above the sixth grade, a claim denied by the Taliban’s Ministry of Education.
It has been 1,038 days since the Taliban closed schools to girls, keeping them away from education.
The latest statistics from UNICEF show that 1.4 million girls are deprived of education, with their rights being violated by the Taliban.
