Afghanistan's School Year Starts Without More Than 1 Million Girls Barred From Education

Islamab: school year in Afghanistan started Wednesday but without girls whom Taliban barred from attending classes beyond sixth gre, making it only country with restrictions on female education.

U.N. children's agency says more than 1 million girls are affected by ban. It also estimates 5 million were out of school before Taliban takeover due to a lack of facilities and or reasons.

Taliban's education ministry marked start of new acemic year with a ceremony that female journalists were not allowed to attend. invitations sent out to reporters said: “Due to lack of a suitable place for sisters, we apologize to female reporters.” During a ceremony, Taliban's education minister, Habibullah Agha, said that ministry is trying “to increase quality of education of religious and modern sciences as much as possible.” Taliban have been prioritizing Islamic knowledge over basic literacy and numeracy with ir shift toward mrassas, or religious schools.

minister also called on students to avoid wearing clos that contrict Islamic and Afghan principles.

Abdul Salam Hanafi, Taliban's deputy prime minister, said y were trying to expand education in “all remote areas in country.” Taliban previously said girls continuing ir education went against ir strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, and that certain conditions were needed for ir return to school. However, y me no progress in creating said conditions.

When y ruled Afghanistan in 1990s, y also banned girls' education.

Despite initially promising a more moderate rule, group has also barred women from higher education, public spaces like parks, and most jobs as part of harsh measures imposed after y took over following withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from country in 2021.

ban on girls' education remains Taliban's biggest obstacle to gaining recognition as legitimate rulers of Afghanistan.

Although Afghan boys have access to education, Human Rights Watch has criticized Taliban, saying ir “abusive” educational policies are harming boys as well as girls. group, in a report published in December, said re has been less attention to deep harm inflicted on boys' education as qualified teachers — including women — left, and inclusion of regressive curriculum changes as well as an increase in corporal punishment have led to falling attendance.