Thousands of students have begun Afghanistan’s latest university entrance examinations, but girls remain barred from participating for a fourth consecutive year under Taliban restrictions….reports Asian Lite News Desk
The latest round of Afghanistan’s university entrance examinations has begun in Kabul, with female students once again excluded from the process as Taliban restrictions on girls’ education remain in place.
The third phase of the national university entrance exams, known as the Kankor, started on Thursday at Kabul University, according to local media reports. The examinations are being held for students who graduated from Grade 12 in Kabul province and will continue over two days.
Thousands of candidates are participating in the tests, which serve as the primary gateway to higher education in Afghanistan.
Rahimullah Haqqani, administrative and technical deputy head of the Taliban-run National Examination Authority, said more than 110,000 students had already taken part in the first three rounds of examinations held across the country.
Officials expect the total number of candidates to reach approximately 120,000 after the fourth and final round of testing. Registration for the next phase is expected to remain open until June 8.
However, girls have again been excluded from the exams, marking the fourth consecutive year in which female students have been barred from participating in the Kankor process.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban administration has prohibited girls from attending secondary school beyond Grade 6 and banned women from enrolling in universities.
As a result, female students have been unable to complete the educational pathway required to sit the university entrance examinations.
The restrictions have drawn widespread criticism from the United Nations, foreign governments and human rights organisations, which have repeatedly urged the Taliban to reverse policies restricting access to education for girls and women.
The latest examinations come just months after Afghanistan began another academic year without girls returning to secondary schools.
Earlier this year, schools reopened across the country, but girls above Grade 6 remained excluded from classrooms for a fifth consecutive year.
The Taliban’s Education Ministry marked the start of the academic year with an official ceremony attended by senior officials, while classes resumed in several provinces across the country.
Calls for the reopening of schools and universities to girls have continued both inside and outside Afghanistan.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai renewed those appeals in May, arguing that education was essential for the country’s future development and prosperity.
In a message issued during Eid celebrations, Karzai said Afghanistan could only achieve progress through a united and educated population.
“Afghanistan is the shared home of all the people of this ancient land. Our country needs prosperity and progress,” he said.
Karzai called for schools and universities to be reopened to girls as soon as possible and urged authorities to allow women greater participation in public life and employment.
“To reach this goal, once again I express the hope that the doors of schools and universities be opened before our girls as soon as possible, and opportunities for participation in work and affairs be provided to women and trained cadres,” he said.
The continued exclusion of girls from education remains one of the most contentious aspects of Taliban rule and has become a major obstacle in the group’s efforts to gain broader international recognition.
While university entrance exams continue for male students across Afghanistan, thousands of girls remain unable to pursue higher education, with no indication yet that restrictions will be lifted in the near future.
