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The education landscape in Afghanistan faces severe challenges in 2025, with policy restrictions and structural issues threatening the future of entire generations. Approximately 1.5 million girls remain banned from education beyond Grade 6 since March 2022 with the total number of out-of-school girls reaching a staggering 2.5 million (80% of school-aged girls). Nearly 9 million children, including 888,000 with disabilities, need emergency education support.
In December 2024, women were banned from attending public and private medical institutes, the last remaining sector where they could pursue university-level studies. The Ministry of Education has shifted away from Community-Based Education (CBE) initiatives, previously a vital mechanism for reaching vulnerable children with only 1,315 out of 4,332 transitioned CBE classes remain functional, resulting in approximately 52,000 children (mostly girls) dropping out.
The ongoing education crisis has profound implications with an increased risk of illiteracy, child labor, early marriage, and gender-based violence, limiting future workforce development and economic growth potential.