THE Taliban’s “abusive” educational policies are harming boys as well as girls in Afghanistan, according to a Human Rights Watch report published on Wednesday.

The Taliban has been globally condemned for banning girls and women from secondary school and university, but the rights group says there has been less attention to the deep harm inflicted on boys’ education.

The departure of qualified teachers including women, regressive curriculum changes and the increase in corporal punishment have led to greater fear of going to school and falling attendance.

Because the Taliban has dismissed all female teachers from boys’ schools, many boys are taught by unqualified people or sit in classrooms with no teachers at all.

Boys and parents told the rights group about a spike in the use of corporal punishment, including officials beating boys before the whole school for haircut or clothing infractions or for having a mobile phone.

The Taliban has eliminated subjects like art, sports, English and civic education.

“The Taliban is causing irreversible damage to the Afghan education system for boys as well as girls,” said Sahar Fetrat, who wrote the report. 

“By harming the whole school system in the country, they risk creating a lost generation deprived of a quality education.”

Students told Human Rights Watch that there are hours during the school day when there are no lessons because there is a lack of replacement teachers. So they said they would do nothing.

The new report suggests that concerned governments and UN agencies should urge the Taliban to end their discriminatory ban on girls’ and women’s education and to stop violating boys’ rights to safe and quality education. 

Ms Fetrat said: “The Taliban’s impact on the education system is harming children today and will haunt Afghanistan’s future.