The commencement of the school year in Afghanistan unfolded on Wednesday, marked by the absence of girls who have been barred by the Taliban from attending classes beyond the sixth grade, thus rendering Afghanistan the sole nation imposing restrictions on female education.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), more than 1 million girls are adversely impacted by this prohibition, with an additional estimated 5 million already deprived of education prior to the Taliban’s ascension due to inadequate infrastructure and various other factors.
Inaugurating the new academic year, the Taliban’s education ministry conducted a ceremony from which female journalists were conspicuously absent. Invitations extended to reporters explicitly cited the absence of suitable accommodations for women with the statement: “Due to the lack of a suitable place for the sisters, we apologize to female reporters.”
During the ceremonial proceedings, Habibullah Agha, the Taliban’s education minister, expressed the ministry’s endeavor to enhance the quality of education in both religious and modern sciences. Notably, the Taliban’s educational focus has shifted towards religious seminaries, or madrassas, prioritizing Islamic teachings over fundamental literacy and numeracy.
Agha further urged students to adhere to attire aligning with Islamic and Afghan principles. In concurrence, Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister, asserted efforts to extend educational reach to remote regions across the nation.
Previously, the Taliban articulated that the continuation of girls’ education contradicted their stringent interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, and stipulated certain conditions for its resumption. However, no discernible progress has been made in fulfilling these conditions.
Historically, during their rule in the 1990s, the Taliban similarly prohibited girls’ education.
Despite initial pledges of a more tempered governance, the Taliban have also barred women from higher education, public spaces, and most professions, enacting stringent measures following the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan in 2021.
The prohibition on girls’ education remains a pivotal impediment for the Taliban in attaining international recognition as Afghanistan’s legitimate rulers.
Nevertheless, while Afghan boys continue to have access to education, Human Rights Watch has condemned the Taliban’s “abusive” educational policies, highlighting adverse impacts on boys as well. In a December report, the organization underscored a decline in attendance exacerbated by the departure of qualified educators, including women, alongside regressive curriculum modifications and an upsurge in corporal punishment.
