Taliban enforcers now confiscate smartphones from Afghan students and teachers in Kandahar, claiming they are tools of Western corruption that led to “the destruction of the future generation.”
Key Takeaways
- Taliban authorities in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province have banned smartphones in all schools and madrassas for students, teachers, and staff.
- Officials claim the ban is based on Islamic sharia law and will improve educational discipline and focus.
- Students report teachers are now conducting searches to enforce the smartphone prohibition.
- The restriction adds to the Taliban’s growing list of technological limitations, including bans on images of living beings in media.
- Critics view the smartphone ban as another step to isolate Afghans, particularly girls already banned from secondary education, from modern learning resources.
Taliban Cracks Down on Technology in Schools
The Taliban’s Education Department in Kandahar province has implemented a sweeping ban on smartphones in all educational institutions, targeting students, teachers, and administrative staff alike. This measure affects both conventional schools and religious madrassas across the region, which serves as the spiritual heartland of the Taliban movement. The provincial authorities have framed this technological restriction as necessary for proper Islamic education and to prevent what they describe as moral corruption among Afghanistan’s youth population. The ban is already being strictly enforced, with students reporting that teachers are conducting searches to ensure compliance.
“This decision has been made to ensure educational discipline and focus,” stated the provincial Education Department, in Kandahar.
The Education Department further justified the ban from a “sharia perspective,” claiming smartphones contribute to “the destruction of the future generation.” This perspective aligns with the Taliban’s broader agenda of enforcing strict interpretations of Islamic law across Afghanistan since retaking control in August 2021. The smartphone prohibition represents just one element of their expanding restrictions on technology, media consumption, and modern influences they deem contrary to their vision of an Islamic society. Beyond schools, the Taliban leadership has encouraged officials and religious scholars to reduce smartphone usage in their personal lives as well.
Mixed Reactions to the Technological Restrictions
The implementation of the smartphone ban has generated diverse responses among students and educators in Kandahar. Some appear to have accepted the new restrictions without significant protest, viewing them as beneficial for academic purposes. One student, Saeed Ahmad, reported: “We did not bring smartphones with us to school today,” adding, “I think this is a good decision so that there is more focus on studies.” This perspective mirrors the Taliban’s official position that removing digital distractions will improve educational outcomes and strengthen moral discipline among young people.
“The teachers are saying if anyone is seen bringing a phone, they will start searching the students,” stated Mohammad Anwar, a student in Kandahar.
However, many education experts and human rights advocates see the ban as deeply problematic. The restriction effectively cuts off Afghan students from valuable digital learning resources, research tools, and connections to the global educational community. This limitation is particularly harmful in a country where educational infrastructure is already severely damaged after decades of conflict. For female students especially, who have already been barred from secondary and higher education in most provinces, the smartphone ban represents yet another barrier to accessing knowledge and skills necessary for their future. The policy appears designed to further isolate Afghanistan’s youth from outside influences.
Growing Pattern of Digital Restrictions
The smartphone ban in Kandahar schools follows a broader pattern of technological restrictions imposed by the Taliban regime since their return to power. Beyond educational institutions, Taliban authorities have banned images of living beings in media and advertising, citing religious prohibitions against idolatry. The Supreme Leader of the Taliban has specifically urged officials and religious scholars to reduce their reliance on smartphones, leading many government functionaries to switch to basic feature phones. These digital limitations effectively create an information bubble around Afghanistan, making it increasingly difficult for citizens to access uncensored news or maintain connections with the outside world.
The Taliban’s approach to technology reveals their governing strategy: rather than adapting modern tools to serve their vision of an Islamic society, they prefer to eliminate technologies they cannot fully control. This regressive policy stands in stark contrast to educational trends in most countries, where digital literacy is recognized as essential for economic development and competitiveness. By depriving students of these critical tools, the Taliban ensures Afghanistan will remain technologically and economically isolated from global progress, effectively returning the country to pre-digital educational methods while much of the world rapidly advances into the artificial intelligence era.
