Taliban: 1,500 Schools Built amid Continued Girls’ Education Ban

DID Press: Taliban-run Ministry of Education says more than 1,500 educational facilities have been constructed or rehabilitated across Afghanistan over the past four years—even as the nationwide ban on schooling for girls beyond primary level remains firmly in place.

Mansoor Ahmad Hamza, acting Minister of Education, said that the ministry aims to create a “standard, healthy and secure” environment for students. According to him, in the current year alone, 179 educational centers and six religious schools (madrasas) have been newly built or restored across 21 provinces.

A spokesperson for the ministry said the cost of these projects amounts to 2.177 billion Afghanis.

Official figures show that in the past four years, 1,315 schools across Afghanistan have received new buildings. Of these, 310 public schools and 18 madrasas have been rehabilitated. Renovation work is also ongoing on 181 public schools and five madrasas, while construction of new buildings for 26 public schools and two madrasas is underway.

“Since the Taliban returned to power, nearly 3,000 educational facilities have been rebuilt, bringing the total number of renovated buildings to 3,524,” Hamza added. Funding for these projects, he said, has come from partner organizations, domestic businessmen, education supporters, and the ministry’s own budget.

The announcement comes as the Taliban continue to enforce a ban preventing girls from attending secondary schools and universities. Girls are currently barred from studying beyond the sixth grade.

UNESCO has repeatedly urged the international community to intensify pressure on the Taliban to lift the restrictions. According to the organization, over two million Afghan girls remain deprived of their right to education.