RASC News Agency: Local sources in Bamyan reveal that the Taliban are issuing high school diplomas to their illiterate fighters after administering superficial qualification exams. On Monday, January 13, sources confirmed that the Taliban’s Directorate of Education in Bamyan conducted competency tests for 980 fighters as part of a campaign to distribute academic credentials. Most of these fighters, sources say, are illiterate and unable to read or write. The distribution of diplomas appears to be a tactic to integrate them into Taliban-controlled administrative positions. Similar staged exams have been conducted across other provinces, enabling the issuance of high school certificates to hundreds of Taliban fighters. These fighters are then appointed to senior government posts with substantial privileges.
In a related development, the Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education recently announced its intention to confer master’s degrees upon 15,000 Madrassa students and bachelor’s degrees to 11,000 others. Analysts describe these actions as a profound insult to the country’s educated citizens, academic institutions, and genuine scholars who have worked tirelessly for years to achieve academic success. Despite their qualifications, these individuals are systematically excluded from employment in Taliban-run institutions. Since reclaiming power, the Taliban have filled every government department with their loyalists, extending their influence to non-governmental organizations. Reports indicate that no candidate can secure a position in an NGO without Taliban approval.
The return of the Taliban to power has dismantled Afghanistan’s education and professional sectors. The nation, once proud of its rich intellectual and academic heritage, now faces an era dominated by ignorance and incompetence. This systematic erosion of knowledge and expertise has left a gaping void in Afghanistani society, extinguishing the light of education and progress for the foreseeable future.
