Kabul (Kubha News)- As the new academic year commences, a significant segment of Afghan girls faces educational barriers. Despite the start of the academic calendar, students who have successfully completed the 6th grade find themselves unable to pursue further education.
During a meeting convened to mark the onset of the academic year, the Acting Minister of Education of the Taliban underscored the importance of enhancing the quality of religious and modern sciences, deeming them essential.
In Kabul, at Amani High School, Maulvi Habibullah Agha’s address omitted any reference to the resumption of classes beyond the sixth grade for girls, leaving many young women sidelined from educational opportunities.
With the dawn of the academic year, countless girls who completed the 6th grade face the disheartening reality of educational exclusion. While official figures are yet to be disclosed, unofficial estimates suggest that over 300,000 girls are affected.
Among them are Heela and Maryam, siblings who, having passed the 6th grade, found themselves absent from school on the inaugural day of the new educational year, echoing the plight of many others.
Expressing dismay, Noor Mohammad, their father, lamented the closure of secondary schools, highlighting the profound disappointment within families unable to secure educational continuity for their daughters.
The prohibition on educating girls beyond the sixth grade has persisted for over 900 days under Taliban rule, eliciting criticism from former President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani. In a recent address, Ghani decried the denial of education to Afghan girls, citing religious scriptures in support of their right to learn.
Meanwhile, former President Hamid Karzai urged Afghan youth, irrespective of gender, to pursue knowledge ardently. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, former head of the High Peace Council, expressed optimism for the future, calling for the reintegration of girls into the educational and academic sector and their rightful inclusion in societal endeavors.
Despite assurances from Taliban authorities regarding a forthcoming girls’ education policy, the closure of schools beyond the sixth grade for girls persists into its third year, underscoring the unresolved challenges facing Afghanistan’s educational sector.