The Taliban’s stance on women’s education has left thousands of Afghan girls with little to no access to secondary education. Since the Taliban regime stopped girls from receiving an education beyond primary school, many of the affected, older students have turned to underground schooling. This trend highlights another growing inequity in access to high-quality education. This gap only widens with the Taliban’s ongoing efforts to open more madrasas, or religious schools, across the country.
In Farah province, authorities have pressured the headteacher of a school to fire five qualified female teachers. Similarly, in Nimroz province, a woman with a bachelor’s degree and 20 years of experience teaching was fired with no stated reason. Such dismissals are a product of an alarming national trend in which skilled educators who hold university degrees have been excluded from classrooms entirely.
FPRI image, original source at 21,000 madrasas by the end of 2022, the Taliban have directly and indirectly expanded their network. In just the months of September 2024 to February 2025, the regime completed or started work on close to 50 new madrasas. These projects included work in all 11 provinces. These institutional norms are inundating our educational ecosystems. They promote a narrow curriculum focused on regurgitating the Qur’an and Taliban perspectives on Islamic law, gender roles, and social norms.
In urban centers such as Herat, young women such as Nahid are increasingly seeking refuge in these religious schools. Nahid now begins her days huddled in the basement of a local mosque, reciting the scripture next to 50 other women and girls. For her, going to these classes is a life or death requirement.
“It’s the only way I can leave my home and fight depression,” – Nahid.
She goes on to explain that her presence at school gives her a sense of belonging.
“If I stay home, I will lose my mind,” – Nahid.
“If I go, at least I see other women,” – Nahid.
Despite the Taliban’s efforts to provide education through madrasas, many parents remain concerned about the quality and depth of education their daughters receive. In Nimroz province, only 57 pupils registered in madrasas this school year. Consequently, only 20 to 25 students are left in conventional classes with certified teachers. This alarming trend means the loss of rounded, holistic education for our young women.
The curriculum taught in these madrasas is extremely limited. It stresses the need for all students to memorize large parts of the Qur’an and strictly obey Wahhabi, rigid interpretations of Islamic law. The conditions inside these institutions frequently mirror the Taliban’s strict gender segregation, norms around clothing and appearance, and other regressive societal expectations.
With only two years left, the ministry responsible for education has done very little to incorporate madrasa graduates into the formal workforce. It has certified 21,300 ex madrasa students for jobs in secondary and post-secondary education. This most recent initiative has left many wary as to whether or not those appointed will be qualified.
In another instance, a replacement instructor was hired who in addition to being ineffective just couldn’t read herself. Her only competence were her ties to local political leaders and a diploma from a fundamentalist religious school. Collectively, these appointments show a deeply troubling pattern. Civil servants relieved with years of training are replaced by inexperienced teenagers that just have madrasa certificates.
This movement toward religious education has drawn the ire of many educators and parents. As one schoolteacher put it, the $87 billion was “misguided.” In particular, she called for broad educational reform in her community, advocating for efforts to expand more generally beyond religious teachings.
“Send your daughters to our religious classes or you get nothing,” – said a mullah, reflecting the stark choices families now face.
The Taliban’s educational policies underscore a critical juncture in Afghanistan’s future. International backup continues to lose momentum, and the energy from local resources is drying up. As a result, many families find themselves making crushing choices about their daughters’ education.