Afghanistan suspends licences of 9 private universities
Kabul, August 10
Nine private higher-education institutions in Afghanistan have had their operating licences suspended or revoked over alleged "ghost students", administrative failings and breaches of academic rules, Khaama Press reported.
Khaama Press is an online news service for Afghanistan.
Afghanistan's Ministry of Higher Education, under the Taliban administration, announced on Sunday that seven institutions had their licences suspended for one year, while two others had their licences permanently cancelled following inspections and assessments carried out during the spring semester of the 1405 solar year, the report said.
The universities facing a one-year suspension are Barlas University in Jawzjan, Rah-e Saadat and Turkistan universities in Balkh, Azhar and Barna universities in Badakhshan, Rashad University in Faryab, and Payam University in Kabul.
Citing a ministry official, Khaama Press said the licences of Kohanduz University in Kunduz and Khana-e Danish University in Takhar had been revoked permanently.
The inspections found institutions allegedly maintaining "ghost students", poor attendance records, allowing barred students to sit final exams, and lacking required administrative and academic structures, the report noted.
The ministry also cited inadequate laboratory equipment for medical students, failure to teach the curriculum approved by the ministry and insufficient opportunities for medical students to complete practical training in hospitals.
The ministry also said some institutions had timetabled classes, but classrooms were found empty, Khaama Press reported.
The crackdown comes as Afghanistan's higher-education sector faces wider pressure since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Restrictions on women and girls have hit universities and private institutions particularly hard.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who works in education policy, I appreciate accountability. Ghost students and empty classrooms are serious issues that undermine the entire system. But you cannot fix higher education while banning half the population from attending classes. These problems are connected.
Indian universities should offer online scholarships to Afghan students, especially women. We have the capacity and the moral responsibility to help our neighbours in these difficult times. Education is the only way forward for peace in the region.
It's easy to criticize from afar, but enforcing academic standards matters. The Taliban restricting women's education is undeniably tragic, but these license revocations are about basic quality control. Both issues deserve attention.
My heart goes out to the Afghan students, especially the young women who have lost access to education entirely. These ghost student scandals seem like a distraction from the bigger human rights crisis unfolding there. 🙏
The international community needs to step up. We can't just watch Afghanistan's education system collapse further. India should take the lead in offering remote learning opportunities and scholarships to Afghan students. Education is our shared future.
Respectfully, these are the consequences of a system that has collapsed under extremist rule. You can't run credible universities when the government itself doesn
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