Afghanistan Peace Campaign
UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett has warned that Afghanistan’s younger generation faces growing risks of extremism, raising concerns about the country’s long-term stability and regional security.
Bennett issued the warning on Thursday, October 29, while presenting his report to the United Nations General Assembly’s Third Committee in New York. He also said the Taliban had shown no willingness to reform or change policies he described as repressive and discriminatory.
The warning comes amid growing international concern over changes to Afghanistan’s education system, particularly the expansion of religious schools and the promotion of Taliban ideology among young people.
A February 2026 report by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) said the Taliban had expanded religious education while removing or reducing some secular subjects from school and university curricula. It noted that universities had been instructed to stop teaching 18 subjects considered inconsistent with the Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia, including topics related to gender, democracy and human rights.
The EUAA report also said the number of formally registered madrassas in Afghanistan had risen to nearly 23,000 by August 2025, according to figures provided by the Taliban authorities. Before the Taliban returned to power in 2021, around 5,000 madrassas were formally registered, although many others operated without registration.
The agency cited concerns among some commentators that madrassas could contribute to ideological indoctrination and extremism. However, it also noted that researchers had found no evidence that the public madrassas they examined were conducting militarised training or education, while warning that their possible role in recruitment into Taliban institutions could not be ruled out.
A separate policy brief published by ODI Global on September 21, 2026, warned that the Taliban’s expanding madrassa system could have implications for regional and international security. Based on interviews with students, parents and teachers in Kabul, the report said the system was reinforcing the Taliban’s ideology and restrictive gender norms, with potential long-term consequences for social stability.
The ODI brief also highlighted the ban on formal education for girls beyond Grade 6 as part of a broader shift in the country’s education system. The Taliban have barred girls from secondary education and women from universities, sharply limiting educational opportunities for millions.
The concerns outlined by Bennett and international research organisations point to wider questions about the future of Afghanistan’s young population, including access to diverse education, employment opportunities and the ability to engage with different ideas.
Experts have warned that the long-term effects of educational restrictions and ideological instruction warrant continued international monitoring. However, assessments of security risks linked to religious education vary, and the available evidence does not establish that madrassa attendance alone leads to extremism.