Taliban Forces Bar Kabul Students Without Traditional Headgear from Entering Schools
Several students in Kabul say Taliban forces have prevented them from entering schools due to not wearing a lungi or turban. A video released from outside a school shows hundreds of students gathered behind the gate, being denied access to their classrooms.
According to these students, the sole reason for being barred was not wearing a lungi, despite wearing the shirt and trousers designated by the Taliban administration as an alternative school uniform.
This is not the first time such restrictions have been imposed. During the Taliban’s first period in power, students who did not wear a hat or lungi were also prevented from attending school, a move that was widely criticized at the time.
Currently, there is little visible difference between the clothing of school students and religious seminary students; both groups wear shirts and trousers. At the same time, Taliban officials also wear this type of clothing, and wearing a traditional long garment (drishi) and loose pants (patloon) has been banned in government offices.
Critics say the increasing focus on outward symbols and ideological teachings has become a cornerstone of the Taliban administration’s educational policies, a trend that could negatively impact the quality of education and equal access to schooling for students.
