Taliban Promote Militarization in Afghan Schools, Raising Fears of Radicalization
Taliban Promote Militarization in Afghan Schools, Raising Fears of Radicalization
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Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan’s education system is increasingly being reshaped into a vehicle for militarization and ideological indoctrination, with growing evidence that schools and universities are being used to promote warfare and extremist values.
According to Radio Hurriyat, a recent “Innovation Exhibition” in Paktia Province showcased student-designed mock military equipment — including a model of an American Humvee tank equipped with a Russian Kalashnikov and a remote-controlled targeting system. The model bore the inscription “Haqqani Network,” referring to the Taliban faction led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, known for deadly attacks during the previous government era.
Officials such as Abdul Qayum Farooqi, Taliban’s provincial education chief, said that top designs will be presented to the Education Ministry for further development and support.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that the Taliban have reduced secular education hours and expanded religious classes based on hardline interpretations of Islamic law.
Experts and families have voiced concern that the Taliban’s growing influence in education is normalizing militarism, indoctrinating youth, and eroding the country’s academic foundations, replacing science and knowledge with tools of war.
These developments mirror a broader pattern documented by international monitors. The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) reported at least 54 incidents of Taliban forces using schools and universities for military purposes between 2022 and 2023. Similarly, Human Rights Watch found that Taliban fighters had occupied schools in Baghlan Province as early as 2016, using them as bases and recruitment sites.
Analysts warn that such trends risk transforming Afghanistan’s classrooms from places of learning into centers of militarization, normalizing violence among youth and undermining the country’s long-term educational and social recovery.
