Several students in Paktika province complain about the shortage of teachers in local schools, emphasizing that most textbooks remain untaught due to the lack of available teachers. Additionally, other students and residents in the province expressed their concerns about inadequate school facilities. They describe a situation where multiple classes are taught in shared spaces or even open areas due to the absence of dedicated school buildings. These students voice grievances about the scarcity of teachers and the absence of proper school infrastructure. In contrast, the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Education recently decided to close all teacher training institutions in the province and surrounding areas. However, the Taliban have prioritized the construction of religious schools, with nearly 800 such schools currently active in Paktika province alone.
The students in Paktika province face persistent challenges due to the shortage of teachers and the lack of school buildings. These issues have significantly impacted the educational process in the province. According to statistics from the Taliban Directorate of Education in Paktika, out of 412 schools, 152 lack proper buildings, and students have to receive their education in open spaces. Moreover, these schools still suffer from a shortage of 1,862 teachers. So far, the Taliban Ministry of Education has not taken any measures to address the schools’ needs.
At Mohammadkhel School in Sharana City, the heart of Paktika province, students express their frustration to the Hasht-e Subh Daily. They are compelled to accommodate four classes under one roof due to the absence of school buildings. This situation severely impacts the quality of teaching, and students find it difficult to comprehend the subject matter. Zabihullah, a seventh-grade student, shares, “The noise is overwhelming with seventh, eighth, and ninth graders studying together. We are taught different subjects simultaneously, sitting close to each other, and it’s very distracting. We struggle to understand our lessons.”
Mohammad Karim, a student in Yusufkhel district, Paktika province, faces challenges with his classmates as they receive their education in open spaces due to the lack of a school building. Both cold and hot weather pose difficulties for them, leaving them disheartened with their education. Mohammad Karim voiced his concerns to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, stating, “Every day, it rains at the beginning of the year, hindering our studies. Now, with scorching hot weather, many students fall sick. We urge the government to construct a school building for us.”
Another significant challenge for students in this province is the shortage of teachers. Some students in Paktika province informed the Hasht-e Subh Daily that due to the lack of teachers, they cannot cover certain subjects until the end of the academic year. Khairullah, an 11th-grade student at Ghaibikhel School in Yayakhil district, expressed, “We have only nine teachers in all our schools. Last year, there was no math teacher, and we barely studied math two or three times throughout the year. Our problem remains unsolved this year, as we still lack 10 teachers. Lower-grade classes, like the fourth and fifth grades, mostly receive lessons from high school students.”
Students in Paktika province are lodging complaints about the shortage of teachers and classrooms. Meanwhile, a source within the Taliban Directorate of Education in the province disclosed that they have reported numerous challenges in schools to the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Education. Regrettably, the Taliban have failed to address these issues and, instead, prioritized the construction of religious schools, allocating funds for their development. An anonymous and reliable source within the Taliban Directorate of Education in Paktika province confirmed that the Taliban have established nearly 600 religious schools in the past two years solely in this province. Presently, the province hosts a total of 790 religious schools, with cash allocations being distributed among officials.
It is important to note that the Taliban have not taken any action to resolve these challenges in Paktika province or other provinces. Simultaneously, the group has forcibly closed girls’ schools, and the Ministry of Education has dissolved Teacher Training Institutions nationwide. Given the current shortage of teachers, the future of the teaching process and its stakeholders under Taliban control remains uncertain.
