{"id":10949,"date":"2026-08-12T18:00:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T13:30:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ariananews.co\/en\/news\/religious-schools-surge-in-afghanistan-leaving-modern-education-behind\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T18:07:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T13:37:02","slug":"religious-schools-surge-in-afghanistan-leaving-modern-education-behind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ariananews.co\/en\/news\/religious-schools-surge-in-afghanistan-leaving-modern-education-behind\/","title":{"rendered":"Religious Schools Surge in Afghanistan, Leaving Modern Education Behind"},"content":{"rendered":"

The expansion of religious schools in Afghanistan has led to a decrease in access to modern education. Students\u2019 narratives reflect their dissatisfaction with the current situation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Expansion of Religious Schools and Decline in Access to Modern Education in Afghanistan<\/h2>\n

In the past five years, Afghanistan has witnessed a significant rise in the number of religious schools. Concerns have grown over the diminishing access to modern and vocational education in the country.<\/p>\n

Approximately 21,000 Religious Schools Active in Afghanistan<\/h2>\n

Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Taliban government, announced that around 21,000 religious schools supervised by the Ministry of Education are currently operational, with nearly 2.5 million students enrolled.<\/p>\n

Hamza: My Dream is to Become a Doctor or Engineer, Not a Cleric<\/h2>\n

Hamza, a 13-year-old boy from Nangarhar, reflects on his two years of schooling, stating, “I studied for two years in school; however, I was later sent to a religious school, while I wanted to become a doctor or an engineer.” He adds that scientific subjects are not taught at his school.<\/p>\n

Religious Education as an Option for Girls Denied Conventional Schooling<\/h2>\n

Some families choose religious education as an option for their daughters. Nasreen, a 14-year-old girl, has been engaged in religious studies for two years due to being barred from continuing her education. She expresses, “I would be happy if subjects like biology and chemistry were included.”<\/p>\n

Challenges in Afghanistan’s Educational System: Where Have the Scientific Subjects Gone?<\/h2>\n

Although religious schools in the past offered instruction in scientific subjects, this balance has since been disrupted. Mujib Mehrdad, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, states that the curriculum should encompass both areas, but the current situation poses significant challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The rise of religious schools in Afghanistan has significantly limited access to modern education, prompting concerns among students and educators alike. With approximately 21,000 religious schools now operational, many students express their dissatisfaction, as they are unable to pursue careers in fields like medicine and engineering. As educational options dwindle, the plight of young learners continues to highlight the urgent need for a more balanced curriculum.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","addvideo":"","video_duration":"","farsit":"","target":"","top_stories":"","top":"","pick":"","vije":"","_mat_hreflang_tags":{"fa-AF":"https:\/\/ariananews.co\/news\/%da%af%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%b1%d8%b4-%d9%85%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%b3-%d8%af%db%8c%d9%86%db%8c-%d9%88-%da%a9%d8%a7%d9%87%d8%b4-%d8%af%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%b1%d8%b3%db%8c-%d8%a8%d9%87-%d8%a2%d9%85%d9%88%d8%b2%d8%b4.html\/","x-default":"https:\/\/ariananews.co\/news\/%da%af%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%b1%d8%b4-%d9%85%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%b3-%d8%af%db%8c%d9%86%db%8c-%d9%88-%da%a9%d8%a7%d9%87%d8%b4-%d8%af%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%b1%d8%b3%db%8c-%d8%a8%d9%87-%d8%a2%d9%85%d9%88%d8%b2%d8%b4.html\/","en":"https:\/\/ariananews.co\/en\/news\/religious-schools-surge-in-afghanistan-leaving-modern-education-behind\/","ps":"https:\/\/ariananews.co\/ps\/news\/religious-schools-surge-in-afghanistan-leaving-modern-education-behind\/","ar":"https:\/\/ariananews.co\/ar\/news\/religious-schools-surge-in-afghanistan-leaving-modern-education-behind\/","ur":"https:\/\/ariananews.co\/ur\/afghanistan\/religious-schools-surge-in-afghanistan-leaving-modern-education-behind\/"}},"categories":[1,9],"tags":[3491,3489,3488,3490,1199],"class_list":["post-10949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-social","tag-educational-system","tag-modern-education","tag-religious-schools","tag-students-narratives","tag-taliban-government"],"acf":{"myctype":"","target":false,"top_stories":false,"top":false,"farsit":""},"yoast_head":"\nReligious Schools Surge in Afghanistan, Leaving Modern Education Behind<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The expansion of religious schools in Afghanistan has led to a decrease in access to modern education. 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