Taliban Allocates 589 Acres of Land for Construction of Schools and Religious Institutes

The Taliban-run Ministry of Education has announced that 589 acres of land have been allocated for the construction of schools and religious institutions in the first half of the Afghan year 1404. According to Mansoor Ahmad Hamza, spokesperson for the ministry, 290 acres were provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, while the remaining 299 acres were donated by residents from various provinces across the country.

The ministry’s spokesperson also noted that in recent years, the ministry has acquired a total of 2,265 acres of private land and 371 acres of government land for educational programs.

This announcement comes amid a severe crisis in the country’s education system. Widespread restrictions on girls’ education, a shortage of qualified teachers, and a lack of basic infrastructure in many schools are among the key challenges threatening the educational future of millions of Afghan children.

While the land allocation is seen as a positive step, without a strong political commitment to inclusive education—particularly for girls—and as long as discriminatory policies persist, it is unlikely to meet the pressing needs of Afghanistan’s education sector. Domestic and international organizations continue to call for the reopening of girls’ schools and comprehensive improvements in education quality across the country.