Students in Nangarhar and Kunar Urge Focus on Education Over Appearance

Students in Nangarhar and Kunar are raising concerns about the shortage of teachers and textbooks, stating that officials are overly focused on their appearance.

Students in Nangarhar and Kunar: Quality of Education Sacrificed for Appearance

Several male students in Nangarhar and Kunar have expressed their worries about the educational conditions in their schools, highlighting that while they face a lack of teachers and textbooks, the authorities seem to prioritize their clothing and outward appearance.

According to the dress code issued by the Taliban’s Ministry of Education, students in government schools from grades ten to twelve are required to wear white shirts and trousers. However, students in Nangarhar and Kunar insist that nearly ten days into the new academic year, many subjects still lack qualified teachers, and there is a severe shortage of textbooks.

One student from Nangarhar High School in Jalalabad, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated: “We don’t have a teacher for important subjects like mathematics, and we have only received three or four textbooks. The principal focuses more on our clothing and punishes anyone who does not wear white.”

Students’ Challenges in Nangarhar and Kunar

Students in Kunar are reporting similar issues. A twelfth-grade student in Asadabad remarked, “Most of our classes are empty due to the lack of teachers, yet when it comes to rules, all that matters is our lungi and appearance.”

Another student in the province added, “The quality of lessons has decreased, and nothing is being done to ensure teachers are qualified. Our biology teacher is teaching physics, which presents a significant challenge.”

Negative Impact on Educational Quality

These complaints come at a time when Afghanistan’s educational system is severely struggling with challenges such as a shortage of qualified teachers, absence of curriculum materials, and weak infrastructure. A joint report by UNICEF and UNESCO indicates that over 90 percent of ten-year-old children in Afghanistan lack basic reading and comprehension skills.

Critics also emphasize that instead of improving the quality of education in public schools, there has been a greater focus on the development of religious schools. Official statistics reveal that by August 2025, the number of religious schools is expected to reach 23,000, while the number of public and private schools will total 18,337.

Students in Nangarhar and Kunar assert that their primary concerns for the new academic year extend beyond clothing and appearance; they urgently need sufficient teachers and complete sets of textbooks.