Taliban Remove Girls’ School Textbooks to Boys’ Schools, Deepening Education Crackdown in Kabul

The Taliban have begun relocating textbooks from girls’ schools in Kabul to boys’ schools, signaling a further crackdown on girls’ education, an article by Hasht-e-Subh Daily reported.

Most districts have orders to empty girls’ school libraries, with textbooks for Grades 7–12 being moved, while girls in Grades 1–6 continue to face severe shortages. Officials see this as a sign that reopening girls’ schools under Taliban rule is unlikely.

Documents reveal the transfers started on April 19, 2025, affecting multiple schools in Kabul, with plans possibly extending to provinces. The Taliban justify the move by claiming boys’ schools lack books, despite girls facing similar shortages. Women teachers and students describe this as systematic discrimination aimed at erasing girls’ education.

Since the Taliban takeover, girls above Grade 6 have been barred from schooling, with no progress on reopening. Additionally, the Taliban have imposed strict uniform policies on boys, enforcing compliance with violence.