Afghanistan’s school year began on Wednesday, but without girls, as the Taliban have banned them from attending classes after the sixth grade, making it the only country with restrictions on female education.
The United Nations (UN) children’s agency says that more than a million girls are affected by the ban. It is also estimated that five million girls were not attending school before the Taliban took power due to a lack of facilities and other reasons.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Education marked the beginning of the new academic year with a ceremony that female journalists were not allowed to attend.
Invitations sent to journalists stated: “Due to the lack of suitable space for the sisters, we apologize to female journalists.”
During the ceremony, Taliban Education Minister Habibullah Agha said that the ministry is trying “to increase the quality of education in religious and modern sciences as much as possible.”
The minister also urged students to avoid wearing clothing that contradicts Islamic and Afghan principles.
Abdul Salam Hanafi, Taliban deputy prime minister, said they are trying to expand education in “all remote areas of the country.”
The ban on girls’ education remains the Taliban’s biggest obstacle to gaining recognition as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan, AA writes.
