RASC News Agency: In a troubling continuation of violence against schoolchildren in Afghanistan, a newly surfaced video on social media shows students being physically assaulted by school officials in Kabul for failing to comply with the Taliban’s mandatory uniform policy. According to Zawia News, the incident occurred at Abdul Haq Baytab High School in Kabul, where male students were publicly beaten with sticks by school administrators upon entering the premises. The video, released on Thursday, has provoked widespread condemnation online, drawing renewed attention to the oppressive atmosphere in schools governed by Taliban-appointed authorities.
One student told reporters that the school’s principal appointed solely due to his military background frequently appears on school grounds armed with a firearm, fostering a pervasive climate of intimidation and fear. Under new Taliban directives issued by the Ministry of Education, all male students are required to wear a traditional outfit consisting of a pirahan (tunic) and tomban (trousers), along with a dastar (turban). The guidelines dictate not only the style but also the color, length, and shape of the uniform. In the video, the students can be seen wearing the designated tunic and trousers, but lacking the mandated turban an omission that led to corporal punishment.
Despite the Taliban’s rigid enforcement, many families are financially unable to comply with the dress code, given the country’s deepening economic crisis. In a video posted Thursday, a student stated that on Sunday, April 13, Taliban agents from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue barred students from entering the school compound for not wearing turbans. This is not the first time such incidents have drawn public scrutiny. In a previous viral video, the principal of Ghazi High School in Kabul was seen cutting students’ hair with scissors as a punitive measure. That incident prompted the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue to summon the principal for questioning.
These episodes reflect a broader pattern of structural violence and ideological coercion under Taliban rule. Critics argue that the movement’s increasing militarization of the education system undermines not only students’ safety but the very notion of education itself. As ideological conformity takes precedence over academic integrity, Afghanistani students are increasingly trapped in a hostile and repressive learning environment.
