The Taliban-led Ministry of Education’s dissolution of the Teacher Training Department has triggered significant reactions and concerns among employees and trainers. Many view the ministry’s decision as “hasty.” These employees assert that the dissolution plan will render over five thousand Teacher Training Institution employees jobless nationwide and disrupt the education of more than ten thousand students enrolled in these centers. They argue that removing these institutions will also hinder the promotion of the teaching profession. Consequently, several teachers and staff members of Teacher Training Institutions are urging a review of the Taliban’s decision.
On Wednesday, the Taliban-led Ministry of Education announced the elimination of “Teacher Training” departments in the provinces from the ministry’s structure. These departments, which operated in various provinces, provided teaching and pedagogical training to aspiring teachers. The Taliban’s Ministry of Education referred to these institutions as “ineffective and unnecessary” in its statement and noted that the Deputy Ministry of the Teacher Training Department had already been removed from the ministry’s structure by the previous government. However, the provincial structures continued to function within the ministry’s organization without a plan. According to the ministry, significant amounts of Afghanis were annually spent on administrative expenses, maintenance, infrastructure, electricity, and staff salaries. Although the Taliban’s Ministry of Education claims to create logical, dynamic, and accountable structures to enhance educational quality and establish a robust administration aligned with the country’s resources and needs, they have not provided a clear program or timeline for replacing the dissolved institutions.
Meanwhile, some employees and trainers from the Teacher Training Institutions are denouncing the Taliban’s decision as “hasty.” An anonymous source at the Directorate of the Teacher Training Institution in Parwan province informed the Hasht-e Subh Daily that over five thousand employees across the country have lost their jobs due to the dissolution of these institutions, leaving more than ten thousand students without access to further education. The source revealed, “The Ministry of Education issued a decree letter terminating four thousand academic faculty and over one thousand administrative and service staff of the Teacher Training Institutions.”
Abdullah (pseudonym) works as a trainer at the Teacher Training Institution in Kapisa province. Three years ago, he earned this job through an open competition. Upon learning about the institution’s dissolution, Abdullah expressed deep disappointment. He said, “It’s disheartening that while the Ministry of Education claims teachers lack qualifications in schools, they removed four thousand academic faculty members from their structure. This decision was hasty and irrational. I went through a challenging process to secure this job, and now I have no idea what to do next.”
On the other hand, some schoolteachers in the country argue that the removal of the Teacher Training Institutions will negatively impact the professional advancement of twelfth-grade teachers. Fereshta Rasa, a teacher in one of the schools on the northern outskirts of Kabul province, demands that the Taliban reconsider their decision. She said, “Most district-level schoolteachers are twelfth-grade graduates and are not familiar with proper teaching methods and techniques. The removal of the Teacher Training Institutions will exacerbate this significant problem.”
However, some other teachers condemn the closure or ban on academic and educational institutions by the Taliban, labeling it as “sustaining the existence of armed groups.” Arash Shahirpour, a former university professor, expressed his views to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, stating, “An environment with low literacy rates, as found in societies where academic opportunities are limited or closed, becomes the most fertile ground for the sustenance of armed groups. In contrast, societies with higher literacy rates show reduced tendencies towards violence, murder, and destruction of public places. By keeping the academic environment closed, you open the door to a prison! The closure and shutdown of academic institutions only bring harm to the people and society.” Shahirpour emphasized that instead of abolishing these institutions, they should be wholeheartedly supported. He stated, “Teacher Training Institutions must receive significant support as they produce society’s guiding lights – the teachers. Through this production, they rescue society from misery and prevent it from descending into the abyss of misfortune. Conversely, a society with low literacy rates will suffer the highest insecurity among its citizens, and opposing knowledge and academic institutions is aligning with ignorance.”
Last year, the Taliban’s Ministry of Education also eliminated, merged, or reassigned several positions and public authorities within this institution, resulting in dozens of people being left with surplus roles or facing unemployment. The Ministry of Education stated that this measure was part of their reforms, involving the integration of certain positions and authorities. It is worth noting that the Taliban had previously removed various governmental structures, including the National Assembly, Election Commissions, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), the Independent Commission for Overseeing the Implementation of the Constitution, the State Ministry for Parliamentary Affairs, State Ministry for Peace Affairs, and the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR). They considered these structures unnecessary and no longer part of the government’s organization.
