Afghanistan’s Education System at Breaking Point

By SS Ahmad 

Afghanistan’s education system is entering a critical phase of collapse, according to new UNICEF findings. Restrictive policies, chronic underinvestment and overlapping humanitarian shocks are converging to push millions of children out of school. The report warns that without urgent action, the country risks losing an entire generation of learners, an outcome with deep implications for families inside Afghanistan and across its global diaspora.

Early childhood education is almost non‑existent. Less than 1 percent of children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early learning programs. UNICEF and partners are piloting play‑based models, but scaling them requires political space and sustained funding. Early childhood development indicators are equally alarming. The 2022–2023 MICS survey shows only 29 percent of young children are developmentally on track. A 2024 parenting pilot showed promising gains, but its reach remains too limited to shift national outcomes.

Primary enrolment reached 6.77 million in 2024, yet progress has stalled. Poverty is pulling more boys out of school as families rely on child labor. Gains for girls remain fragile and uneven. The crisis becomes acute at the secondary level. Although administrative data lists more than two million students, girls are entirely excluded beyond Grade 6, making Afghanistan the only country in the world enforcing such a ban.

The system is also buckling under chronic underfunding and a shortage of qualified teachers—especially women. Nearly half of schools lack safe buildings, and 79 percent have no electricity. Many lack water, sanitation or protective spaces. Community‑based education, once a lifeline for nearly one million learners, is shrinking under new restrictions. UNICEF’s Learning Continuity Plan aims to ease transitions into public schools and pilot community‑aligned models, but implementation remains limited.

Learning outcomes are among the worst globally. More than 90 percent of 10‑year‑olds cannot read a simple text. A nationwide Grade 3 assessment launched in 2024/2025 by UNICEF and UNESCO is the first major effort to gather systematic evidence on learning and teaching practices. Teacher development programs have expanded, incorporating mentoring and digital modules, yet shortages of female trainers and basic infrastructure continue to undermine progress.

Humanitarian Pressures and Shrinking Pathways

Humanitarian needs are rising sharply. In 2025, 8.9 million children, including 888,000 with disabilities, will require emergency education support. At the same time, mass returns from Iran and Pakistan have brought 2.7 million people back since 2023, 40 percent of them children. Many returnee girls over age 12 face immediate exclusion due to existing bans and overcrowded schools. For Afghan families in the diaspora, these returns often involve relatives who suddenly find themselves without access to education or basic services, creating new layers of transnational responsibility and concern.

Post‑primary and tertiary pathways are contracting rapidly. Formal technical and vocational education and training (TVET) enrolment remains stuck at around 66,000 students, with female participation collapsing. Non‑formal TVET has surged sixfold since 2019 as families scramble for livelihood options. Tertiary education has undergone sweeping restrictions. Female enrolment has fallen from 27 percent in 2019 to zero by 2024. Male enrolment has dropped by 40 percent. Female faculty numbers have plummeted by 70 percent. Curriculum changes in 2025 removed hundreds of books and 18 subjects, including human rights, gender equality and political science, raising concerns about academic freedom and the future relevance of higher education.

Despite the grim outlook, UNICEF stresses that opportunities remain. Protecting foundational learning, expanding safe and inclusive schooling, supporting teachers and aligning skills training with market needs could help stabilize the sector. For the Afghan diaspora, the crisis is not distant—it shapes the futures of relatives, communities and the country many still hope to rebuild. Without sustained funding and policy space, Afghanistan risks losing a generation of learners.

Read the full UNICEF report here:

https://www.unicef.org/afghanistan/media/12691/file/Report_AFG_Education_PRINT_final-.pdf.pdf

SS Ahmad is a freelance researcher and journalist based in, Kabul Afghanistan. 

Note: The contents of the article are of sole responsibility of the author. Afghan Diaspora Network will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in the articles.