Reverse Transitologies in Comparative Education: Pedagogies of Unbelonging Under the Taliban

This article presents empirical findings from 21 teachers’ experiences across Afghanistan during the first year following the Taliban’s return to power. It examines the transformations within the school system and their impact on the teaching profession, students, and learning environment. These changes are analyzed through three interrelated dimensions: unpredictability, inflexibility, and unknowable futures. Together, these dimensions inform the development of the concept of pedagogies of unbelonging, a framework that explores how education institutions can actively contribute to social disruption and exclusion. By introducing this concept, the article critiques and extends the comparative education literature on transitologies, highlighting the role of education in shaping and reinforcing societal upheaval during periods of political transition.