KABUL — Taliban at a ceremony in Kabul on Thursday inaugurated Afghanistan’s fourth consecutive academic year without girls above sixth grade attending school, as they continue to enforce their ban on female education.
At this event, Taliban officials made no mention of the ongoing restrictions on girls’ education, instead emphasizing their focus on religious studies.
Habibullah Agha, the Taliban’s education minister, stated that his ministry is committed to both religious and modern sciences, but offered no indication that the ban on secondary and higher education for girls would be lifted.
Agha said they have been working to revise the national curriculum over the past two years, removing content they deem contradictory to Islam and Afghan traditions.
Abdul Baqi Haqqani, head of the Taliban’s examination authority, reinforced the idea that education under the Taliban must align with their ideology.
“The Ministry of Education has a duty to teach students with a mindset and curriculum that ensures they stand by the [Taliban] system, the nation, and the country under any circumstances,” he said.
Haqqani added that Afghan youth must be prepared to compete globally and help Afghanistan achieve self-sufficiency.
Meanwhile, Noorul Haq Anwar, head of the Taliban’s administrative office, praised what he described as the Taliban’s achievements in governance.
“As a system, we have fulfilled all our responsibilities,” Anwar said, citing the implementation of Islamic law, security, education, healthcare, and economic development as key successes.
“Compared to the past, there have been positive changes in education, security, the curriculum, and other areas in Afghanistan,” he added.
Since regaining power in August 2021, the Taliban have significantly altered Afghanistan’s educational curriculum, prioritizing Islamic studies over science and modern subjects.
Analysts say the curriculum overhaul is aimed at indoctrinating students with the Taliban’s ideology, ensuring future generations are aligned with their vision for Afghanistan.
The Taliban’s ban on female education, now entering its fourth year, has faced widespread international condemnation, but the group has shown no signs of reversing its policy. Instead, restrictions on women’s education and public life have only intensified.
