Education International

ATROAfghan Teachers' Rights Observatory

Testimony

Anonymous, ex-teacher, female

Most of my family members are teachers, mother, sister, and brother. With the arrival of the Taliban, we lost our jobs.

Only my brother remains a teacher, whose income is not enough for our family. My father is also unemployed, which means a big financial problem for all the teachers.

Teachers do not have freedom of thought and expression. The Taliban has sent written letters to all schools saying that their ideology should be taught in all schools, which is known to be terror and war.

Some teachers I know have been warned about trying to defend their rights.

More Testimonies

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

Female teachers are treated as if we were toys or mere pawns. One day, we are asked to sign, and the next day, we are told not to come to school. The frustration witnessed through the eyes of our students is beyond words, filled with sadness and resentment. This has been our reality for a year.

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Anonymous

Although the Taliban’s education minister had promised that Afghan teachers’ salaries would increase, there are many problems. The Taliban’s policy of not allowing male teachers to teach girls and female teachers to teach boys has made things worse.

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Simin, female, has been teaching for 18 years in a primary girls' school in Herat

I became a member of a teacher union because professional representation is crucial. However, our current circumstances are challenging, and I find myself extremely unhappy.

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