KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A student at a Taliban-controlled jihadi madrassa in Lashkargah, the capital of Helmand province, reportedly took his own life on Saturday.
Local sources stated that the student hanged himself early in the morning. However, further details about his identity or the circumstances leading to his actions remain unclear.
Taliban officials in Helmand have not commented on the incident, which has stirred renewed concerns about the conditions within Taliban-run jihadi and religious schools.
Reports of harsh treatment and violent discipline in such religious seminaries have previously raised alarms over the mental health and well-being of students.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Afghanistan has seen a significant increase in the number of madrassas, transforming the nation’s educational landscape.
According to the regime, there are now over 21,000 madrassas with 3.6 million students, surpassing the approximately 18,000 public and private schools.
Education advocates have criticized this shift, warning it could foster extremism and further limit secular educational opportunities for Afghan youth.
With secondary education for girls banned, Afghanistan remains the only country with such restrictions, driving thousands of girls to Taliban’s religious seminaries.
Before the Taliban’s takeover, Afghanistan had over 9 million students enrolled across all schools, with 39% of them being girls.
