KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — In Kabul’s alleys and courtyards, boys in white caps and tunics recite verses from the Quran in a growing network of madrassas, the religious schools increasingly filling the gaps in Afghanistan’s fractured education system.
While public schools still operate, their reach has been weakened by limited resources, teacher shortages and decades of conflict. In response, many families now turn to madrassas, which offer structured learning rooted in Islamic teachings. Enrollment is booming. One school north of Kabul has grown from 35 students to more than 160 in five years.
Most madrassas focus on Quranic memorization, jurisprudence and Arabic, but some now include basic secular subjects like math and English. Still, many fall short of national and international education standards, raising concerns about the long-term impact on students’ broader development.
Girls face even greater challenges. With secondary education banned under Taliban policy, some girls now attend madrassas as one of the few remaining options for continued learning though opportunities are limited even there.
Critics say the madrassas are often centers of religious indoctrination and their increased popularity will have long-lasting consequences for Afghanistan’s future.
But for many children, these schools are the only form of education they can access.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
An Afghan boy rests his head on his desk as he dozes off during a Quran class at the Abdullah Ibn-Masoud religious school on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
A religious studies teacher instructs a boy in Quran recitation at the Abdullah Ibn-Masoud religious school on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Photographs of street children studying at an informal school are displayed on a board in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
An Afghan boy poses for a photo with his toy pistol at the Imam al-Tirmidhi religious school in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Afghan boys attend a Quran class at the Abdullah Ibn-Masoud religious school on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
An Afghan boy glances at the camera during a Quran class at the Abdullah Ibn-Masoud religious school on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
An Afghan boy sweeps the room where he lives and studies at the Imam al-Tirmidhi religious school in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Afghan boys walk back to the Abdullah Ibn-Masoud religious school where they live after collecting food aid from nearby villages in the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
A religious studies teacher instructs Afghan boys in the Quran at the Abdullah Ibn-Masoud religious school in the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Qari Hizbollah, director of the Imam al-Tirmidhi religious boarding school, left, works with a local baker to count loaves of bread purchased for the school in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Afghan boys living at the Imam al-Tirmidhi religious school eat bread and tea for breakfast in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Afghan girls studying at an informal school walk through the school in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Afghan boys living at the Imam al-Tirmidhi religious school stand by a window frame inside their school in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Afghan girls attend a religious studies class at the Tasnim-e-Nusrat religious education center in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Afghan boys carry copies of the Quran at the Imam al-Tirmidhi religious school in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Afghan boys pose for a photo with their teacher during a Quran class at the Abdullah Ibn-Masoud religious school in the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
