The Afghan education system has been historically weak due to decades of conflict and war from the 1970s to the 1990s, resulting in limited access and poor quality. The ongoing economic crisis has further hindered educational access, particularly for girls, as families often prioritize boys’ education when resources are scarce. In Kabul, specific school enrollment data is scarce, but in the central region (including Kabul), the World Bank estimates that boys’ primary enrollment is 69%, while secondary enrollment is 41%. For girls, these figures are 56% and 9%, respectively.
Even for children attending school, the quality of education is notably low in Afghanistan. The World Bank reports that 93% of Afghan children are not proficient in reading by the end of primary school at 10 years old. These education challenges stem from systematic issues, including inadequately trained teachers and a lack of textbooks, compounded by historically limited resources within the schooling system.