Education International

ATROAfghan Teachers' Rights Observatory

Testimony

Roya, a female teacher in a boys’ school in the Badakhashan province

I am from the Herat province, yet currently I am teaching male students in a school in Badakhshan.

Unfortunately, our educational environment lacks basic facilities and textbooks. Teachers are burdened with 30 hours of dull and monotonous classes daily, with no desks or books available.

The school infrastructure is limited. Economic conditions are challenging for everyone, with teachers receiving little assistance, facing unemployment, and struggling to make ends meet with insufficient livelihood.

Beyond the classroom, families neglect the division of household chores, and students, engaged in work outside school, struggle to focus on their studies.

More Testimonies

Freba, a female teacher in a girls’ school in Balkh

Over the last two years, women in our country have encountered unprecedented restrictions, revealing a stark disregard for our humanity. Through our union we call for improved basic pay, professional autonomy, and enhanced social security.

Anonymous, female secondary school teacher, union, and women’s rights activist

I am a former provincial leader of the National Teachers’ Elected Council. At the same time, I have been a women’s rights activist for a long time, advocating for girls’ education and participation of women in different organizations. Due to my engagement with teachers’ union and women’s rights activism, I was one of the most well-known people in my city which put me in imminent danger.

Anonymous, Female Teacher

When the Taliban regime took over the country everything changed. Ministries closed, banks closed, public services were not available, schools were closed, business was paused, and universities also closed.