RASC News Agency: Recently surfaced images from Farah province reveal that the Taliban have forcefully imposed their prescribed uniform on male students, signaling a broader effort to reshape both the appearance and ideological framework of the Afghanistani education system. Through curriculum revisions and strict dress codes, the Taliban appear intent on molding students in their own image. In early March, the Taliban’s Ministry of Education enacted a Uniform Regulation, mandating that all students and teachers in schools wear a traditional outfit consisting of a long tunic (pirahan) and trousers (tonban), accompanied by either a cap or a turban. The decree also specifies strict guidelines regarding the color, fabric, and dimensions of the attire.
Photographs emerging from multiple schools in Farah province confirm the enforcement of this regulation. The images depict high school students dressed in white tunics and trousers, their heads wrapped in black-and-white turbans an attire that closely resembles the traditional clothing worn by Taliban members. According to local sources, compliance with this uniform has been declared mandatory, with students warned that non-adherence could lead to expulsion. Reports indicate that those who defy the mandate without valid justification are initially reprimanded, and repeat offenders are required to sign a formal pledge in the presence of their families.
The regulation further stipulates that students’ and teachers’ clothing must not be excessively short, long, tight, or made from thin fabric. Sources suggest that this directive has received personal approval from Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, and that the Ministry of Education has instructed provincial education departments to implement it without exception. Notably, the decree makes no mention of attire for female students or teachers in primary schools. Traditionally, Afghanistani female students in public schools have worn black uniforms. However, since their return to power, the Taliban have banned education for girls beyond the sixth grade and have shuttered universities and medical training institutions for women, further entrenching gender-based restrictions in the country’s educational landscape.
