Date: 23/05/1403 On Tuesday, August 23, Mohammad Ismail Misbah, head of the Taliban’s 11th educational district of Kabul, instructed school principals, male teachers, and staff to mandatory attend a ceremony marking the third anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power. Misbah stated that a large celebration would take place at the Maryam Girls' School hall, and that no excuses for absence would be accepted. He warned that "responsibility will fall on the individual" if they fail to participate, though no specific consequences were detailed. Attendance sheets would be signed after the event to confirm participation.

According to a source cited by 8am Daily, Misbah also instructed principals to bring at least 200 students to the ceremony. Similar instructions were reportedly issued to all educational districts in Kabul, as well as in Ghazni Province, where the Taliban’s Department of Education directed male students and teachers from public and private schools to attend the celebration.

Meanwhile, the Taliban Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs declared August 24 a public holiday nationwide in recognition of the group's return to power.

The Taliban’s directive mandating participation in celebrations marking their return to power—issued by Mohammad Ismail Misbah and reportedly extended to all education districts in Kabul and Ghazni—demonstrates the regime’s increasing use of coercion within public institutions to assert ideological control. Teachers and students were instructed to attend under threat of vague but implied consequences, with no room for refusal.

The requirement that school officials bring at least 200 students to the event, particularly to be held in a girls' school building—while girls themselves are barred from secondary education—underscores the Taliban’s use of the education system not for learning, but for state propaganda and political consolidation. This environment fosters fear-based compliance, undermines professional autonomy, and politicizes educational spaces.