KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Residents of Jaghori district in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province have started building a new school with their own funds, despite widespread poverty and economic hardship.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Education announced that the foundation stone was laid Saturday in the village of Zirak, with Education Minister Habibullah Agha attending the ceremony.
Named “Salehi School,” the project is estimated to cost around 13 million Afghani ($182,000), with local residents fully funding it, according to the ministry.
Jaghori, a Hazara-populated district, has a long history of community-driven development. Residents, often supported by those working abroad, have previously built schools, bridges, hospitals, water dams, and roads without assistance from the government.
The district is known for its relatively high literacy rate and strong emphasis on education. Before the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Jaghori was home to nearly 100 schools and educational centers, including dozens dedicated specifically to women and girls.
Since the Taliban’s takeover, residents of Jaghori, like others in Afghanistan, have faced significant challenges, including restrictions on girls’ education and deteriorating economic conditions.
The Taliban imposed a nationwide ban on girls’ education beyond sixth grade, making Afghanistan the only country in the world to enforce such a restriction.
In addition, the Taliban has transformed the education system by replacing several modern subjects with religious teachings and appointing unqualified religious school graduates as teachers in most schools and universities nationwide.
While residents of districts like Jaghori continue to build schools with personal funds, the Taliban has diverted public resources to constructing hundreds of religious schools across the country.
