Taliban Government Eliminates Hundreds of Teaching Positions Across Afghanistan

The Taliban-led Ministry of Education has eliminated hundreds of official teaching positions across various educational sectors in Afghanistan, following a new directive from Hibatullah Akhundzada. Local sources confirm that the decision has been implemented in multiple provinces, resulting in the dismissal of a large number of teachers.

According to some sources, the move affects not only formal schools but also religious madrasas, presenting a fresh challenge to the country’s educational structure. The majority of those dismissed have been female teachers who were instructing girls below grade six.

Education experts warn that reducing teaching positions at a time when the educational system already faces a severe teacher shortage poses a serious blow to the future of education in Afghanistan. Furthermore, the systematic removal of women and girls from the educational system is viewed as a breach of international commitments to the right to education.

This decision is seen as part of the Taliban government’s broader restrictive policies toward girls’ education—a campaign that over recent years has led to the closure of thousands of schools and sparked widespread concern both domestically and internationally.