Taliban Cracks Down On 9 Afghan Universities Over 'Ghost Students', Academic Violations & Administrative Failures

Kabul: 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.

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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official, Khaama Press said the licences of Kohanduz University in Kunduz and Khana-e Danish University in Takhar had been revoked permanently.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. 

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)