Taliban Education Department Orders School Mergers and Class Size Increases Amid Teacher Shortage

The Taliban’s education department has issued a directive ordering the merger of neighboring schools and an increase in class sizes to 45 students. The policy, announced on 15 Thawr, comes amid a growing shortage of educators across the country.

Under the new guidelines, provincial education offices are instructed to consolidate under-enrolled institutions. The directive also outlines specific staffing requirements for primary education, mandating the hiring of female teachers for early grades. For girls’ primary schools, male religious instructors must be at least 50 years old to teach grades one through six.

The restructuring follows reports of declining student enrollment in several provinces, particularly in Kandahar, where families have increasingly transferred children to religious seminaries. Education officials have cited these shifts as a primary driver for the consolidation plan.

The teacher shortage has been compounded by administrative changes implemented over the past year. The Taliban leadership previously canceled hundreds of teaching contracts, disproportionately affecting female educators, while simultaneously raising salaries for religious instructors.

International organizations have raised concerns about the long-term impact of these policies on the education sector. UNICEF has projected that Afghanistan could lose approximately 20,000 teachers by 2030 if current restrictions and structural changes continue. The consolidation of schools and adjustments to class sizes are expected to place additional strain on remaining educational infrastructure as authorities attempt to balance staffing constraints with student demand.