KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban have introduced a new dress code for male students and teachers, requiring them to wear traditional long tunics and trousers (pirhan and tunban) along with a white turban or cap, according to a newly issued directive.
The nine-article regulation, approved by Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, states that students must adhere to the prescribed uniform across all provinces, including Kabul.
According to the directive, students in grades 1 to 9 must wear light blue pirhan and tunban with a white turban or cap.
Also, students in grades 10 to 12 must wear white pirhan and tunban with a white turban.
Moreover, the length of the tunic must extend below the knees.
Private schools may set their own colors for uniforms but must follow the general guidelines.
And the Taliban’s Oversight and Evaluation Department has been tasked with enforcing the dress code nationwide.
The dress code closely resembles the one enforced during the Taliban’s first regime in the late 1990s.
Criticism over Taliban’s education policies
The decision has drawn criticism from the people, many of whom view it as an attempt to impose the Taliban’s previous education policies and further Islamicize the country’s school system.
Some argue that the Taliban aim to eliminate distinctions between public schools and religious madrasas, blurring the lines between secular education and religious instruction.
Others see the curriculum changes and mandatory uniforms as a rejection of modern educational values, with some critics describing the move as an attack on Afghanistan’s education system.
Taliban have not responded to public criticism of the new policy.
