Afghan Male University Enrolment Falls 39 Percent Since 2019 as Female Enrolment Reaches Zero

The Guardian reported that male enrolment in Afghanistan's higher-education sector fell from 310,369 in 2019 to 188,957 in 2024, while female enrolment reached zero by 2024. Students at public and private universities in seven provinces described a system that requires daily religious lectures and public prayer sessions lasting up to two hours.

Hashmat, a journalism student at Kabul University, said one recent lecture replaced time that would have been used for academic courses.

He added that a classmate was beaten for wearing trousers and that lecturers have called students shaitan. Male students must grow beards and wear traditional Afghan clothes. Qader, a student in central Afghanistan, said debate and questioning have disappeared from classrooms since the fall of Kabul.

Zalmay, a student in Helmand province, said some teachers read from old notes and cannot answer questions beyond the written material. More than 20 students interviewed by phone across Kabul, Kandahar, Helmand, Nangarhar, Bamiyan, Balkh and Wardak provinces gave similar accounts. In some departments at Kabul University, recent graduates and undergraduates now teach courses.

One lecturer finished his own degree only two years earlier, Hashmat said. A former Kabul University professor confirmed that the departure of experienced lecturers has weakened instruction. Hashmat said two of his younger brothers dropped out of school after the Taliban takeover because they no longer believe education leads to jobs.

Many classmates attend only because their families expect them to, he added. Kabul University buildings remain open, male students attend classes, exams are held and degrees are issued. Many independent news outlets have closed since the Taliban takeover.