In a 19-page report titled “‘Schools are Failing Boys Too’: The Taliban’s Impact on Boys’ Education in Afghanistan,” Human Rights Watch documents the Taliban’s policies and practices since assuming control of the country in August 2021, which are undermining the education of Afghan boys.
A recent report from Human Rights Watch sheds light on the adverse impact of the Taliban’s stringent educational policies in Afghanistan, raising concerns not only for the education of girls and women but also for boys.
Between 2002 and 2021, a staggering 3,816,793 girls were enrolled in first through 12th grades in Afghanistan, as revealed by the 2020-2021 annual report from the Afghan Ministry of Education. The report further outlined the operation of 18,765 public and private schools across the country during the same period.
Afghanistan boasted a substantial education infrastructure with over 200,000 teachers, including 80,554 women. In 2020, the enrollment of over 100,000 Afghan women in public or private universities marked a significant stride. Moreover, data from 2019 indicated the presence of 2,439 female lecturers in higher education institutions.
Over the past two decades, public and private universities have flourished, providing women and girls with diverse opportunities to contribute meaningfully to Afghanistan’s future.
In a 19-page report titled “‘Schools are Failing Boys Too’: The Taliban’s Impact on Boys’ Education in Afghanistan,” Human Rights Watch documents the Taliban’s policies and practices since assuming control of the country in August 2021, which are undermining the education of Afghan boys.
The report highlights actions such as the dismissal of female teachers, heightened use of corporal punishment, and regressive alterations to the curriculum. Despite the global attention garnered by the Taliban’s bans on secondary and higher education for girls and women, the significant harm inflicted on the education system for boys has received less recognition.
“The Taliban are causing irreversible damage to the Afghan education system for boys as well as girls,” said Sahar Fetrat, author of the report and assistant women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch.
Human Rights Watch conducted remote interviews with 22 boys in grades 8 to 12, along with five parents of boys in the same grade range, in various provinces including Kabul, Balkh, Herat, Farah, Parwan, Bamiyan, Nangarhar, and Daikundi. The interviews were conducted between June and August 2022 and March and April 2023.
The Taliban’s removal of all female teachers from boys’ schools has resulted in many boys being taught by unqualified teachers or even sitting in classrooms without any teachers.
There has been a disturbing increase in the use of corporal punishment, with officials beating boys publicly for infractions such as haircut or clothing violations or for possessing a mobile phone. Additionally, the Taliban has eliminated subjects like arts, sports, English, and civic education, leading to a decline in educational quality.
A grade 12 student at a large public high school revealed, “Out of 14 subjects, we [now] only have teachers for 7 subjects, and 7 subjects are not taught, … includ[ing] physics, biology, skills, computer, English, and art.” He further explained that these subjects are not removed by the Taliban but are not taught because the female teachers were dismissed. Consequently, he has to take private classes outside of school, which his family finds challenging to afford.
The alterations in the educational landscape have heightened fears among boys about attending school, resulting in declining attendance and a loss of hope for the future.
The worsening humanitarian and economic crises in the country have placed additional pressures on boys to work and support their families, leading many to abandon school entirely.
The challenging circumstances have contributed to an increase in anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems among boys, compounded by the scarcity of mental health services in the current context.
Although the Taliban has not explicitly prohibited boys’ education beyond the sixth grade, their actions undermine access to education for all children and young adults. This contradicts Afghanistan’s obligations under international law, particularly the right of all children to receive education.
The systematic discrimination by the Taliban against women and girls, which includes the ban on girls and women studying, is having detrimental effects on boys as well. This discrimination contributes to the propagation of harmful gender norms among boys and places increased pressure on them to be the sole financial providers for their families.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which Afghanistan ratified in 2003, governments are mandated to ensure “the elimination of any stereotyped concept of the roles of men and women at all levels and in all forms of education.”
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has determined that all forms of corporal punishment are prohibited under international law, affirming that every child has the right to receive an education in an environment free from violence. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by Afghanistan in 1994, delineates children’s rights to education, safety, and protection from violence.
According to Human Rights Watch, governments and UN agencies expressing concern should call upon the Taliban to lift their discriminatory ban on girls’ and women’s education and cease violating boys’ rights to a safe and quality education. Urgent actions include reinstating all women teachers, aligning the curriculum with international human rights standards, and putting an end to all forms of corporal punishment.
Human Rights Watch acquired a 78-page document titled “Report of the Modern Curriculum Assessment Committee” in January 2022, which seems to be an internal Taliban proposal for curriculum revision. Although the document’s authenticity and whether its recommendations will be implemented could not be verified, the proposed changes align with those reported by students and other sources.
