Afghan girls attend class in a school located in Kabul Afghanistan, on September 18, 2021. — Reuters
The Taliban authorities in southern Afghanistan introduced a ban on smartphones in schools, a decision confirmed by students and teachers to AFP on Wednesday. They cited “focus” and “Islamic law” as reasons behind the move.
The provincial Education Department in Kandahar issued the rule. It applies to students, teachers, and staff members in both general schools and religious schools.
“This step aims to maintain discipline and concentration in education,” the statement explained. It mentioned that the decision was based on “sharia principles” and warned that smartphones “harm the future generation.”
The rule now active in schools across the province, has sparked mixed feelings among students and teachers.
“We did not bring our phones to school today,” said Saeed Ahmad, a teacher aged 22 speaking to AFP.
“I believe it is a smart move to make studies the top priority,” he added.
Mohammad Anwar, a student in 11th grade, shared that “teachers are saying they will begin checking students if anyone is caught with a phone.”
Another 12th-grade student, who did not want to share his name, argued the ban could interfere with learning. He mentioned this is challenging in a country where girls are prohibited from attending secondary schools and universities. The UN has described these restrictions as “gender apartheid.”
“When teachers put lessons up on the board, I snap a picture to copy it later. Now I can’t do that. This choice will hurt how we study.”
‘Full ban in place’
Religious schools called madrassas are also following these smartphone restrictions.
“There’s now a full ban. No one even tries to bring smartphones,” said Mohammad, a 19-year-old madrassa student.
In the past few years, countries like France, Denmark, and Brazil have also taken steps to limit phone use in classrooms.
The Taliban already banned showing photos or videos of living things in the media. Several provinces have announced similar restrictions, and certain Taliban officials refuse to have their photos taken or be filmed.
The Taliban’s Supreme Leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, urged officials and scholars last week to limit how much they use smartphones.
“This is what the leaders have ordered, and we have to follow it,” said a 28-year-old member of the security forces. He did not give his name because he wasn’t allowed to speak to the media, according to AFP.
“I now use a basic brick phone,” he shared. “I sometimes used WhatsApp on my smartphone before, but I’ve stopped using it.”
In Kandahar, some Taliban officials are now giving out their brick phone numbers and turning off online messaging apps.
