Taliban denies acknowledging graduates of 2000-2020, High Education Minister Haqqani says ‘are of no use’
Calling modern studies "less valuable" than the subjects taught at madrasas, Haqqani said education certificates of high schools students during the past twenty years is of no use.
In a major announcement, Taliban acting minister of the higher education Abdul Baqi Haqqani said that the graduates from the past 20 years are of no use, reported the Khaama Press Agency.
The Taliban referred to graduates who have studied during the non-Taliban era when the militant group was fighting the US-backed governments of Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani.
Taliban higher education minister asserted that those who have graduated high schools during the past twenty years under the US-backed governments of Hamid Karzai "will be of no use." He further said that they must hire teachers who instil in students and incoming generations the 'values that are of use in the country and Afghanistan can utilize their talents in the future', according to TOLOnews.
Abdul Baqi Haqqani made the statements during a meeting with the university lecturers in Kabul.
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Showing a preference for religious studies, he emphasised that the Master's and PhD holders of modern studies are less valuable than those who have studied in madrasas and have religious studies in Afghanistan, reported TOLOnews.
For Afghanistan, however, the last two decades is considered to be one of the most important and rich eras when it comes to the level of education in the country.
Earlier, the Taliban also prohibited girls from attending secondary schools. Teenage Afghan girls weren’t allowed to return to school as classrooms across the country reopened for the first time in September since the Taliban took power in August.
The Taliban has now allowed girls up to sixth grade to attend school, but they will be taught in separate classrooms from boys.
While some private universities have also been allowed to open classrooms for girls, most female students choose to stay at home out of fear. Afghanistan’s universities are regulated by a separate ministry from the ministry of education.