Afghanistan Holds Third Round of University Entrance Exams as Girls Remain Barred for Fourth Year

KABUL – Afghanistan’s third round of university entrance examinations began in Kabul on Thursday, marking yet another year in which girls have been systematically excluded from higher education. For the fourth consecutive year, female students were not permitted to sit for the exams.

The examinations, known as the Kankor, are being administered by the Taliban-run National Examination Authority. The third round of the 1405 academic year’s entrance tests is currently underway at Kabul University, with thousands of male 12th-grade graduates from Kabul province taking part. According to the authority, the second day of testing will continue on Friday.

Rahimullah Haqqani, the administrative and technical deputy head of the National Examination Authority, reported that more than 110,000 candidates have participated in the first three rounds of nationwide testing. Officials project that the total number of participants will reach approximately 120,000 following the completion of a fourth round. Registration for that final round remains open until June 8, the authority confirmed.

However, these figures represent only male candidates. Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban have barred girls from attending secondary school beyond the sixth grade and prohibited women from studying at universities. These sweeping restrictions have effectively prevented an entire generation of young Afghan women from sitting for the Kankor, which serves as the primary gateway to higher education in the country.

The exclusion has drawn widespread condemnation from the United Nations, foreign governments, and international human rights organizations. Critics have repeatedly called on the Taliban to reverse the bans, describing them as gender-based discrimination and a violation of fundamental human rights. Despite mounting pressure, the de facto authorities have shown no indication of allowing girls to return to secondary schools or universities, leaving millions of Afghan women without access to formal education or a path toward academic and professional careers.

Our Pashto-Dari Website

  Donate Here