KABUL, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's education system currently serves about 14.8 million students, government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid announced late Tuesday.

Of these, 12 million are enrolled in the national school system, where they study modern sciences. Meanwhile, more than 2.8 million students are pursuing religious education at over 20,800 madrasas operating under the regulatory framework of the Ministry of Education.

According to official data from the ministry released last September, Afghanistan hosts a total of 18,621 schools. Of these, 3,215 are private institutions, while the remaining state-owned and public schools provide education to students free of charge.

Despite these figures, millions of Afghan children remain deprived of formal schooling due to persistent challenges, including poverty, internal displacement and a lack of accessible schools, particularly in remote and war-affected regions.