Ministry of Higher Education Holds Working Session on the Promotion of Girls' Education and Annual Exam

The Ministry of Education organized a working session to present a proposal for the promotion of one grade for female students and the annual exam for female students in grades 7-12. The proposal focused on the following:

The purpose of this proposal is to promote girls in grades 7-12 in girls' schools. Since the academic year is coming to an end, it is necessary to take action regarding the promotion of female students. As the policy of the Islamic Emirate on girls' education for these grades is still under review, and no clear guidance or regulations on the promotion of students are outlined in the Ministry of Education’s documents, the leadership of the Ministry and department heads, in a joint session held on 7/4/1444, discussed the situation and presented a temporary solution to the Ministry of Education as follows:
In order to ensure Islamic and educational standards and to consider relative justice, it is proposed that all grade 12 students take a one-day exam, where all Islamic obligations and principles are taken into account. This exam will be conducted for 3 hours in their respective schools. Students who pass will graduate, and the remaining students will be retained in their previous grade.
This exam will be conducted nationwide for one day, with 100 questions that cover all subjects in the curriculum. The exam will be implemented in a simple, practical manner.
The Ministry of Education will ensure that all teachers and examiners are female.
It should be noted that the fate of students in grades 7-11 will be clarified in the future policy of the Islamic Emirate.
This proposal has been presented to the leadership of the Ministry of Education and approved. The Ministry of Education issued a letter (number 4177) on 3/5/1444 to the education directorates in the provinces and Kabul, stating that the grade 12 students will take the one-day exam on 16th of Qaus 1401 across the country, with strict adherence to Islamic hijab.
Alhaj Habibullah Agha/ The ٰAdministrator of Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Education's one-day exam policy for 12th-grade girls is a symbolic measure that does little to remedy the broader educational exclusion imposed by the Taliban. While presented as a solution to logistical and religious constraints, the initiative lacks substance and sustainability. It neither reinstates regular schooling nor guarantees a meaningful educational future for female students.

By entirely excluding girls in grades 7 through 11 from any pathway to academic progression, the policy reinforces institutionalized gender discrimination and deepens the erosion of girls' right to education. The use of Islamic framing and female staff appears aimed at legitimizing the decision, but ultimately serves as a veneer over a deliberate policy of educational marginalization. This official directive exemplifies the Taliban’s broader approach: maintaining international optics while entrenching a system of gender-based educational deprivation