A significant number of young people who have been unable to continue their higher education due to economic hardship say that in addition to the difficult economic situation, what they describe as a lack of transparency in the Taliban-run university entrance exam, known as the Kankor process in Afghanistan, has prevented them from gaining admission to public universities. According to them, after that, due to their inability to pay tuition fees, they have also lost the opportunity to continue their education at private universities. These young people, expressing their despair, say that if they are unable to continue their studies, they will be forced to spend their entire lives as laborers or street vendors, and the future they had envisioned for themselves now seems unattainable and nearly impossible under current conditions.
Osman (pseudonym), one of the young people whose academic future has fallen victim to difficult economic conditions, says that although he finished school with excellent grades and had prepared for the Kankor exam, he was unable to gain admission to a public university due to what he describes as a lack of transparency in the Kankor process under the Taliban administration. He says that afterward, due to economic problems, he was also unable to continue his education at a private university.
This young man adds: “I finished school with excellent grades and had also prepared for the Kankor exam. I had a great dream of entering university and graduating in the field I was interested in. I took the Kankor exam, but despite having high scores, I did not get accepted, while several students with lower scores than mine succeeded in getting into the same field I had chosen. I don’t know what system the Taliban used to calculate the scores.”
Osman, who did not want to wait another year for the next Kankor exam, enrolled at a private university, but says he was unable to continue his studies there either. He says, “I enrolled in a private university in the field I was interested in and studied through the third semester, but after that, my father became unemployed. We could no longer afford to pay the university fees. I spoke with university officials many times and explained my situation, hoping they would at least offer some cooperation or a discount on the tuition, but no cooperation was given. The third semester ended and final exam time arrived, but because I had not paid the fee, I was not allowed to take the exams. I was very disappointed; I even cried, but I had no other option.”
This young man says that afterward,d he went to various places looking for work, but was not successful. He adds, “I went to several places to apply for work. Some said they were not hiring, and others said they did not take on part-time staff.”
Osman says: “Only my father worked, and he covered all household expenses, including rent. He was also paying my university tuition in installments, but when he became unemployed, our living conditions became very difficult. Now I can no longer attend university, and I have to work instead. Every day when I pass by the university, I feel a lump in my throat.” He adds with despair: “I know that if I cannot study at this age, my entire life will be spent in labor and street vending. The future I had imagined for myself now seems unattainable and nearly impossible under these circumstances.”
Ahmad (pseudonym), 27, says that due to economic problems,s he was unable to continue his education and was forced to give up his own aspirations in order to support his sisters’ continued education. He says, “In 2016, I graduated from school with big dreams and high hopes. My dream was to become a cardiologist, and during my school years, I worked hard to get into the field I was interested in. But at that time, two of my older sisters were university students, and in our family, only my father worked. The cost of living and the expenses of educating two students at once were too high a burden for the family, and it was not possible to support all of us. I was faced with a difficult choice: either I would continue my education, or my sisters would.”
This young man adds: “At that time, I decided to set aside my own education for a while and work alongside my father so that I could support my sisters. Fortunately, both of my sisters were among the last girls who managed to complete their university studies before universities were closed to women in Afghanistan.”
Ahmad says, “After that, I started working at a private company. Several times, I decided to continue my education in my field of interest at one of Kabul’s private universities, but due to work pressure and difficult economic conditions, I was not able to. Nevertheless, whenever the opportunity arises for me to continue my education, I will certainly resume my studies and strive to reach the highest academic levels.”
Omar (pseudonym), a university professor, says that one of the sectors that has suffered the most damage under current conditions is education, particularly private higher education institutions. He adds: “Unfortunately, due to the lack of access for all segments of society to universities and specialized fields, combined with declining economic capacity and young people’s waning interest in continuing their education within academic structures, this sector is facing a serious crisis. This crisis is not limited to private institutions; it has also affected public universities and institutions. This year, even the intended capacity for Kankor exam participants and the programs that were supposed to be filled were not met. In previous years, thousands of people would take part in master’s degree programs alone, but this year, the number of applicants has sharply declined, and fewer than one thousand people have enrolled.”
Omar says, “Private higher education institutions rely on student tuition payments, but most young people are currently unable to continue their education. The lack of economic capacity is one of the most fundamental factors preventing many people from continuing their studies. Continuing one’s education requires financial means, hope of finding work, and motivation, but these factors have sharply declined among young people today, and serious motivation to continue education has also disappeared.”
This young man adds: “The most important factor is economic incapacity. Many people are unable to even begin their studies, and some of those who have started are unable to continue due to financial problems and are forced to leave university. This is a reality that is currently unfolding, and no one can ignore it.”
Jawad (pseudonym), a financial officer at one of the private universities, says that despite reductions in tuition fees, many young people are still unable to afford even these reduced costs. He says, “Previously, student foot traffic was clearly noticeable, but now the number of students does not even reach half of what it used to be, and it keeps decreasing day by day. Most of those currently studying at the university are Taliban members, their relatives, or people who have received scholarships through government ministries. Because our university is well known, many of these individuals come here to study.”
Expressing concern over the declining presence of ordinary students, he adds: “Every day, the number of ordinary students decreases. We have had students who were forced to leave the university even in their fifth or sixth semester. When we asked why, they said they could not afford to pay the fees. On the other hand, the university also has its own expenses; it must cover professors’ salaries, electricity, water, and other costs. For this reason, even though we have reduced tuition fees, we have no way to reduce them further.”
This comes as, some time ago, several students at Taliban-controlled public universities spoke of a lack of motivation and disillusionment regarding the continuation of their studies. They added that ever-increasing restrictions have made the academic environment at universities more closed by the day, stripping many students of the motivation to continue their education.
According to them, a shortage of specialized professors, lack of educational resources, the removal of academic materials by the Taliban, economic problems, and lack of job opportunities are among the most significant factors behind students’ disillusionment about their academic future.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
چوکیهای خالی دانشگاههای خصوصی؛ روایت جوانانی که از ادامه تحصیل بازماندهاند
