KABUL (Pajhwok): A number of private school teachers in the capital Kabul, complaining of low salaries, delayed payments and heavy workloads, say that despite long teaching hours, their limited income does not even cover basic living expenses — a situation experts believe is negatively affecting the quality of education and the future of the country’s education system.
Pajhwok Afghan News interviewed more than 10 teachers from private schools in Kabul city for this report. All of them complained of low salaries and delays in payments, while some also criticised the inappropriate behaviour of school officials.
A teacher: “I felt we were being exploited”
Maryam, not her real name, said: “At the beginning of the academic year, I was hired as a Dari language and computer teacher at a private school in Makrorayan, but due to the inappropriate behaviour of the administration, mistreatment by the principal and discrimination at the school, I could not continue and left my job.”
She, who holds a bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Languages and Literature, added: “Teachers’ salaries at our school were not equal and it was unclear on what basis salaries were determined. I, who had the highest salary at the school, was paid 4,500 afghanis, while a 14th-grade graduate teacher received 3,500 afghanis and another teacher with a 16-year education was paid 4,000 afghanis.”
She added: “The salary was very low compared to the workload. I spent around 1,500 afghanis monthly on transport. At the beginning, we were also asked to work the first month without pay, and in the second month they said only 1,500 afghanis would be paid because it was written in the contract. I felt we were being exploited, so I left the school.”
Maryam also criticised the behaviour of school officials, saying: “The head teacher and principal treat teachers poorly. On the other hand, if a teacher becomes slightly strict with a misbehaving student, the principal immediately blames the teacher. I personally experienced such reactions several times.”
Similarly, Ferozan Mohammadi, a teacher at another private school in Kabul, said she teaches Dari, the Holy Qur’an and Islamic studies to sixth-grade students from 6:30am to 12:30pm, Saturday to Thursday.
A computer science graduate, she said: “The monthly salary for all teachers at this school is around 2,500 afghanis. Unfortunately, this amount is not sufficient to meet basic living needs, but due to the lack of better job opportunities, we are forced to continue this work.”
She also called on officials to seriously address teachers’ living conditions, increase salaries, and provide fairer and improved working conditions so teachers can educate future generations with peace of mind.
Farzana Ahmadzai, who holds bachelor’s degrees in Islamic jurisprudence and law as well as general psychology, said she teaches Pashto and the Holy Qur’an at a private school in Kabul.
She said: “The salaries paid in private schools are, in my view, unacceptable because the fees collected from students are much higher than the salaries paid to teachers, while the current salaries do not even meet a teacher’s basic needs.”
She urged the Ministry of Education (MoE) to pay serious attention to the problems faced by private school teachers.
Problems of private school teachers should be addressed: experts
Jamaluddin Sulaimani, an education expert, confirmed the existence of such problems in some private schools and said: “We have witnessed this situation many times and unfortunately teachers are even, in a sense, held hostage over salaries and financial benefits. Salaries ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 afghanis are not only insufficient for teachers, but have also reduced the quality of education in private schools. Private schools no longer enjoy the good reputation they once had for better teaching.”
He said this was a serious problem and could also have legal implications, as labour laws exist and work must be compensated. However, due to a lack of legal awareness, teachers often do not refer their cases to judicial institutions, which negatively affects them psychologically, emotionally and financially.
“Anything that causes distress to teachers also negatively affects the quality of education,” he added.
He expressed hope that private schools would address this issue, noting that improved teaching quality and better services would strengthen the education system.
Meanwhile, legal expert Parvez Khalili said the existence of such problems in private schools lowers the quality of teaching because teachers become discouraged.
He said: “Delayed salary payments, setting extremely low wages and unprofessional treatment of teachers are violations of employees’ basic rights. In any education system, teachers are a specialised and fundamental force, and employers are obliged to respect their rights, human dignity and job security.”
According to Khalili, delays of two to three months in salary payments clearly violate employment contract principles, while insulting or unprofessional treatment of teachers goes against human dignity and professional ethics.
“Setting very low salaries compared to the workload and responsibilities of teachers is a form of professional injustice. When a teacher cannot meet minimum living needs, the concepts of labour justice and job security effectively disappear,” he said.
He added that economic problems and psychological pressure undoubtedly have a direct impact on the quality of teaching and teachers’ mental well-being.
“A teacher worried about rent, feeding the family and meeting basic needs cannot enter the classroom with peace of mind and high motivation,” he explained.
Khalili said these problems could be resolved, but doing so required serious commitment, transparent oversight and joint cooperation between education officials, private school owners and relevant institutions.
He held the Ministry of Education (MoE) responsible and said it should strictly monitor private schools.
Officials’ response
Pajhwok tried to contact private school principals and officials for balance in this report, but was unsuccessful.
However, Mohammad Azim Maidanwal, head of the Kabul Private Schools Union, speaking on behalf of private schools, said without providing details: “Most of them also make accusations.”
He added: “Anyone who has a complaint should directly file it … salaries are based on location, while work experience and educational level of the teacher are also important.”
Meanwhile, Qari Abdul Basit Haqqani, head of private schools at the MoE, said without providing further details: “Work is underway on a comprehensive plan and, God willing, all these problems in private schools will be resolved.”
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