Afghanistan’s Education System on Verge of Collapse Under Taliban Rule

Afghanistan’s Education System on Verge of Collapse Under Taliban Rule
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The education system in Afghanistan is facing an unprecedented crisis and is on the brink of complete collapse under Taliban rule, according to a new report from UNESCO and UNICEF. Millions of children, particularly girls, are being deprived of education and a brighter future.

More details in the following report:

According to the Shia Waves Persian, the joint report warns that Afghanistan’s educational structure has been severely affected since the Taliban’s return, leading to a situation described as “schooling without learning.”

Illiteracy: Over 90% of ten-year-olds in Afghanistan are unable to read a simple text, a crisis that has intensified over the past four years.

Out-of-School Children: More than 2.13 million children of primary school age are currently out of school, and millions more have failed to acquire basic reading and math skills.

The ban on secondary education for girls, now entering its fourth year, has systematically excluded over 2.2 million adolescent girls from learning. Afghanistan remains the only country in the world to implement such a systemic ban.

UNESCO estimates that if this prohibition continues, nearly four million girls will be denied secondary education by 2030. This exclusion is projected to result in an economic loss of approximately $9.6 billion for the country.

UNICEF also highlights the poor state of existing infrastructure, noting that about half of Afghanistan’s schools lack basic facilities such as drinking water or sanitation systems, with thousands closed due to conflicts and natural disasters.

Despite the challenges, UNESCO noted that educational activities continue in over 2,600 Afghan villages. The organizations urgently call for the immediate reopening of schools and universities for girls and sustained investment in the sector.