3 weeks ago
Taliban Suspends Licences of Nine Afghan Universities Over Ghost Students
The government in Afghanistan has a special office that looks after schools and universities.
That office sent people to check on nine private universities.
They found some problems at these schools.
Some schools listed students who never came to class, called 'ghost students.'
Some schools let students take exams even when they were not allowed to.
Other schools did not have the right equipment for students learning to be doctors.
So the government decided to punish the schools.
Seven schools were told they could not operate for one year.
Two schools had their permission to run taken away forever.
This is part of big changes in Afghanistan since a group called the Taliban came back to power in 2021.
Afghanistan's Taliban-run Ministry of Higher Education suspended or revoked the operating licences of nine private universities.
Seven institutions received one-year licence suspensions, while two had their licences permanently cancelled.
Inspections alleged institutions kept 'ghost students', had poor attendance records, and allowed barred students to sit final exams.
Universities also lacked required administrative and academic structures, adequate laboratory equipment, and hospital training opportunities for medical students.
The crackdown followed inspections during the spring semester of the 1405 solar year and comes amid wider pressure on Afghan higher education since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
- Who
- Afghanistan's Ministry of Higher Education, under the Taliban administration, announced the action; the report was published by Khaama Press.
- What
- Nine private higher-education institutions had their operating licences suspended or revoked over alleged ghost students, academic violations and administrative failures.
- Where
- Afghanistan, across the provinces of Jawzjan, Balkh, Badakhshan, Faryab, Kabul, Kunduz and Takhar.
- When
- Announced on a Sunday; inspections were carried out during the spring semester of the 1405 solar year.
- Why
- Authorities cited ghost students, poor attendance records, barred students sitting final exams, missing administrative and academic structures, and inadequate medical training facilities.
Key facts
- Affected institutions
- 9 private universities
- One-year suspensions
- Barlas (Jawzjan), Rah-e Saadat (Balkh), Turkistan (Balkh), Azhar (Badakhshan), Barna (Badakhshan), Rashad (Faryab), Payam (Kabul)
- Permanent revocations
- Kohanduz University (Kunduz), Khana-e Danish University (Takhar)
- Reported by
- Khaama Press
- Key violations
- Ghost students, poor attendance, banned students in exams, missing structures, empty classrooms, inadequate lab equipment
- Context
- Higher education under pressure since the Taliban returned to power in 2021
Sources
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