Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesperson, said Tuesday that more than 20,000 religious schools, or madrasas, operating under the Ministry of Education are currently active across Afghanistan. He added this about 2.5 million students enrolled in religious studies.
Speaking at a jihadi school in Kandahar province, Mujahid said the Taliban have placed significant emphasis on religious and jihadi education since returning to power.
He also claimed that the authorities have paid attention to modern education, saying about 12 million students are “engaged in learning modern subjects” in schools across the country. Mujahid added that the Taliban have “reformed” the national school curriculum, without providing details.
Since seizing power, the Taliban have prioritised the construction and expansion of jihadi schools, mosques and religious institutions nationwide.
International organisations and human rights groups have expressed concern over the rapid growth of these schools, warning that they risk promoting extremism.
The Afghanistan Human Rights Center said in a recent study that the expansion of Taliban-run jihadi schools has “negative and dangerous” effects on the thinking of young people.
The study, published last year, said the Taliban have altered school curricula and removed several key subjects. It also warned that the number of jihadi schools may be higher than official figures suggest.
According to the findings, the Taliban have built at least one large jihadi school in each province, equipped with extensive facilities and dormitories capable of housing up to 2,000 people. Additional jihadi schools have also been established in many district centres.
In Kunduz province alone, the study said, four large jihadi schools and about 800 religious schools have been established over the past three years.
Meanwhile, the Taliban have kept schools above the sixth grade and universities closed to girls for more than four years, a policy that has drawn widespread international condemnation.
