Several families in Kabul say that private schools, in addition to charging the set tuition rates, also demand substantial extra fees from them. According to these families, these charges are collected from students under the titles of various programs organized by the schools. They stress that in cases where these fees are not paid, the school administration pursues them for payment, leaving them with no choice but to comply to prevent their children from being insulted or placed under pressure. Families state that private schools do not accept uniforms or books purchased from outside, forcing them to buy these items at high prices directly from the school.
Some of these families, in conversations with the Hasht-e Subh Daily, state that if this situation continues, they will transfer their children to public schools due to economic constraints. They emphasize that because of the deteriorating economic conditions, they are unable to afford the exorbitant expenses of private schools.
Shakiba, a mother whose three children attend a private school, complains about the rising costs at the institution. She says that this increase has placed them in a position where they are forced to choose which of their children should be transferred to a public school.
The mother adds, “My husband works at a private company, but his salary is not enough for us to be able to pay the high tuition fees. Previously, if the tuition was high, my husband’s salary was also better, but since the Taliban came, the economic situation of the people has drastically worsened, and tuition fees should not be this high. When we raise our concerns with the school principal, they use the high taxes imposed by the Taliban as an excuse.” She calls on private schools to set costs in line with the people’s financial capacity under the current circumstances so that children can continue their education.
Shakiba further says, “During the Republic era, there were very good teachers at the school, and my children were learning everything properly. Now, the quality has declined and the fees have increased. It is not clear what is what; anyone who has connections has become a teacher. It should not be this way; teachers must be tested.”
Sitayish, another mother, states that her husband has recently been dismissed from his job by the Taliban, and paying school fees is now beyond their financial capacity. She adds that schools collect extra charges from families under the pretext of celebrations and various programs.
Sitayish says: “For an alphabet celebration gathering, they took 450 Afghanis from my child. They did not buy any clothing or give any gifts; they only brought a cake. If you calculate this with around 100 to 150 students, it is a large amount of money. How are we expected to pay 400 to 500 Afghanis for every celebration? In addition to the tuition, they even take money from us for meals.” She continues: “My four children go to school. They take 2,000 Afghanis per month from us, and from one of my children, 1,500 Afghanis, claiming it is a discounted rate. With this situation, how can we manage? Costs must be reduced. On top of tuition, there are book and stationery expenses. Every day, they make us buy notebooks and various project materials and collect extra fees. Although we complain, no one listens.”
Hashim Hashimi says that they send their children to private schools out of necessity, but these schools exploit that very desperation. He adds: “Every week there is a ceremony, and they take between 50 and 100 Afghanis for it. This amount may seem small, but when you consider the number of students, it becomes a substantial sum. If you do not pay, your child is humiliated, and families say, Let us just pay it. Even books that are available outside must be purchased from the school at a high price. These issues cause serious economic harm to families. If we were not compelled, we would not send our children, because in the public schools there is neither proper teaching nor any practical training, nor oversight from the authorities.”
Abdul Kabir calls on private schools to reduce their fees and to avoid causing further anxiety for the people under the current circumstances. He says, “Private schools have recently increased their tuition, while the people are struggling even to secure their daily bread; how can they afford such expenses? At the very least, discounts should be considered so that families can send their children willingly to school.”
Omar says that his brother had been enrolled in a private school, but due to economic hardship and his father’s unemployment, they transferred him to a public school. He adds: “My brother studied at a private school for three years, but last year, because our financial situation was not good and my father could not pay his school fees, we transferred him to a public school.”
Previously, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) stated in a report that the education system in Afghanistan is facing an unprecedented crisis, and millions of children, especially girls, have been deprived of schooling.
UNICEF added that learning outcomes remain extremely low; more than 90 percent of 10-year-olds are unable to read a simple text, which exacerbates the learning crisis.
Earlier, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations (OCHA) stressed in a report that Taliban restrictions have caused several families to deprioritize education for their children. According to a survey conducted in 2024, 11 percent of families have removed education from their priorities due to financial difficulties.
Today, Wednesday, more than 1,500 days have passed since the Taliban closed the school gates to girls above Grade Six.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
آموزش در مکتبهای خصوصی؛ هزینههای اضافی خانوادهها را تحت فشار قرار داده است
