Due to curriculum changes, corporal punishment, and the dismissal of female teachers, education for boys in Afghanistan is at risk in the long term under Taliban rule, A report published on Wednesday by Human Rights Watch (HRW) showed.

Since the Taliban regained power in August 2021, they have been criticised, above all, for their severe curtailment of women’s education.

While female teachers have been dismissed and replaced by unqualified teachers or no teachers at all, schools from the seventh grade and universities are entirely closed to girls and women.

So far, less attention has been paid to the damage caused to the education system for boys, according to HRW.

The report is based on accounts from pupils from the eighth grade and parents.

According to HRW, lessons such as sports, art and English have often been removed from the curriculum or were no longer taught due to a lack of teachers.

A rise in corporal punishment is said to have been triggered by things such as a bad haircut or possession of a mobile phone, for example, the report said.

Due to the precarious economic situation in the country, financial hardship in families means boys often have to work instead of going to school. The changes in the schools have led to many boys becoming increasingly afraid of attending school, and their hopes for the future are dwindling.

“The Taliban are doing irreversible damage to the Afghan education system for both boys and girls,” said Sahar Fetrat, deputy women’s rights researcher at HRW.

She added, “By damaging the country’s entire education system, they risk creating a lost generation that will be deprived of quality education.”

(dpa/NAN)