Story perspectives

Taliban converts Afghan private madrasas into state-run schools

9/7/2026

Center

Taliban Converts Schools

The Taliban government transformed private madrasas into state-run madrasas nationwide, using a franchise model that provides teachers salaries and formal certification.
The new madrasas teach Deobandi-based curricula that include jihad instruction for children.
Conversion of Abdul Hai Habibi High School displaced 6,000 students and 130 teachers.
Human-rights observers say expansion deepens women’s subordination, and Manizha’s family reports curriculum complaints were dismissed.

Right

Taliban Converts

The Taliban government has converted private madrasas into state-run madrasas across Afghanistan through a franchise model.
Proponents argue the franchise gives teachers regular pay and grants students recognized diplomas, promoting stability for Afghan families.
Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, including Islamic State, remain active worldwide, sustaining a jihadist narrative.
Iraqi officials say Iranian-backed militias still hold weapons, blocking full state control of arms.

Blindspot

The conversion of Abdul Hai Habibi High School displaced 6,000 students and 130 teachers, according to reports from families and school officials.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Center-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Right-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

In 1996, the Taliban issued a decree creating a centralized madrasa system that mandated state oversight of religious schools across Afghanistan. The decree funneled roughly $200 million from Saudi Arabia into Deobandi institutions such as Darul Uloom Haqqania, employing over 2,000 teachers by 2001. Today's franchise conversion of private madrasas like Abdul Hai Habibi High School mirrors that policy, shifting thousands of students and teachers into state-run curricula emphasizing jihad. The precedent suggests that expanding state-controlled religious education will entrench ideological uniformity, complicating international humanitarian efforts and women's rights advocacy.

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Taliban Converts Schools

The Taliban government transformed private madrasas into state-run madrasas nationwide, using a franchise model that provides teachers salaries and formal certification.
The new madrasas teach Deobandi-based curricula that include jihad instruction for children.
Conversion of Abdul Hai Habibi High School displaced 6,000 students and 130 teachers.
Human-rights observers say expansion deepens women’s subordination, and Manizha’s family reports curriculum complaints were dismissed.

1 / 4