A copy of the Taliban Ministry of Education’s “Guideline for Resolving Problems of Imbalance and Shortage in the Organizational Structure of Teachers and Instructors at Educational Centers” has reached the Hasht-e Subh Daily. It confirms an imbalance in the ministry’s current organizational structure. The Taliban say the guideline was created to solve this problem, but it has raised concerns among teachers, particularly female teachers who teach below sixth grade. They say the Taliban are using it as a pretext to transfer remaining female teachers to remote areas, or to replace them with their own affiliated appointees in the name of restoring balance.
The Taliban Ministry of Education says the guideline aims to distribute educational services more evenly and improve teaching quality. It says schools and teaching positions across the country are currently out of balance. According to the guideline, the main goals of the organizational review are to prevent unnecessary positions, identify vacant capacity, move personnel to areas in need, and restructure schools based on student numbers.
Class sizes will be adjusted by education level, with maximum capacity set at 40 students in primary school, 35 in middle school, and 30 in high school.
Teaching hours will also vary by role. Primary school teachers in grades one through three will teach 24 hours a week, middle and high school teachers 28 to 30 hours, and assistant teachers 15 hours. Head teachers and disciplinary supervisors will teach 12 hours a week, while librarians and physical education teachers will teach 18 hours a week.
Reduction of Surplus Positions and Teacher Transfers
The guideline sets criteria for identifying teachers considered unnecessary at a school. Vacant positions are reviewed first, followed by factors such as teaching outside one’s specialization, weak adherence to administrative discipline, shorter work experience, and lower education levels relative to colleagues in the same field.
Teachers who request a transfer themselves are also considered. If no position is available in their district, they may be transferred to a vacant post elsewhere in the province, or placed on a reserve list for future appointments as a last resort.
This process has raised concerns about abuse and bribery. Some teachers say the Taliban use various pretexts to dismiss them or send them to remote areas where their salaries do not even cover commuting costs.
One teacher, who asked not to be named, said: “They dismiss teachers under various pretexts and replace them with one of their own mullahs. If you don’t follow their orders, you’re dismissed on the spot. And if you do follow them, the salary doesn’t even cover your commute. We don’t know what to do anymore.”
Under the guideline, schools with 251 to 500 students will have two disciplinary supervisor positions, with one more added for every additional 250 students. Middle and high schools will also have assistant teaching positions based on class and student numbers, though primary schools will not.
On the administrative side, schools with 10 to 40 staff will have one executive manager, and those with 41 to 80 staff will have an additional executive officer.
The guideline also sets standards for service staff: one cleaner position for every 10 active departments or rooms, meaning schools with only one or two departments will not qualify for a cleaner. Schools with green space or farmland will be allocated a gardener position based on land size, while librarian and inventory custodian positions will depend on the number of books and assets on hand.
The Taliban Ministry of Education says provincial education directorates will need accurate data on student numbers, classes, teachers, vacant positions, administrative staff, and school facilities for the plan to succeed. Without reliable statistics, well-resourced schools could retain surplus staff while underserved schools continue to face shortages.
The guideline also calls for a centralized database to track organizational changes, along with monthly reporting and provincial review teams responsible for verifying the accuracy of the data.
Experts say organizational review can only advance educational equity if decisions on transferring positions and staff are based on measurable data and the actual needs of schools. Cutting surplus positions at one school without reassigning them elsewhere does not amount to structural reform on its own. Likewise, expanding capacity at underserved schools without accounting for real student numbers, building conditions, classroom availability, and access to qualified teachers risks distributing resources just as unevenly.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
رهنمود تشکیلاتی طالبان؛ بهانهای برای حذف بستهای معلمان و گسترش زمینههای رشوهستانی
