Uncertainty looms over female students in Afghanistan.
In the weeks since the Taliban seized control of the country’s capital, many schools in the region have remained closed out of concerns for security. Al Jazeera reports college women, as well as girls at the elementary and junior high levels, have been able to attend classes at institutions that’ve remained opened; however, a large number of Kabul high schools have yet to reopen.
On Friday, the Taliban announced classes for boys in sixth through 12th grade will resume this Saturday, but provided no details on when female students could also return to the classroom: “All male teachers and students should attend their educational institutions,” the announcement read.
See a translation of the message below.
Announcement of the Ministry of Education
To the information of all Emirati and private schools, official schools and Darul Uloom of the country will be delivered:
1. As it was informed about the beginning of the educational process to all schools and formal schools until the sixth grade,
In the series of the gradual beginning of the educational process, now all primary schools, high school and official schools of the male class are being informed to start their education process on 27th of Virgo on Saturday, according to this, all professors and students of the male class should go to schools. Let themselves be ready.
2. All provinces and relevant officials should take the necessary measures in the field.
•••••••••••••••••
Announcement of the Ministry of Education
All the Emirates and private schools of the country, the official Darul Alum and the official schools are informed.
1: As all schools and formal schools were reported to start the educational process up to sixth grade, the gradual start in the series of memorials, now informing all middle and high school schools and official schools. Until the 27th of the month of Sunbala start their educational process on Saturday, all male teachers and students should attend their educational institutions.
2: All provincial and related officials should take necessary actions on this.
The news comes just days after Taliban Higher Education Minister Abdul Baqi Haqqani confirmed the Taliban would not prohibit women and girls from getting an education, insisting they would be allowed to continue their studies as long as they did so in a gender-segregated classroom. Officials also ordered all female students to abide by a strict dress code that includes mandatory hijabs.
“We have no problems in ending the mixed-education system,” Haqqani said, as reported by the Hindustan Times. “The people are Muslims and they will accept it … Thanks to God we have a high number of women teachers. We will not face any problems in this. All efforts will be made to find and provide women teachers for female students.”
Before the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, women and girls were allowed to study alongside men and were not subjected to an Islamic dress code.
Although the Taliban says it has no intentions of prohibiting women and girls from receiving an education, some experts believe the newly announced rules amount to an effective ban. Kate Clark, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, said the Taliban used this kind of tactic in the 1990s.
“Education and literacy are so strongly valued in Islam that the Taliban could not ban girls schools on Islamic grounds, so they always said they would open them when security improved. It never did. They never opened the schools,” said Clark, as reported by The Guardian. “There was always the fear that they could be closed in a moment. Or that teachers would be beaten or detained. This happened. Teaching girls was risky, a brave act of resistance, but not impossible.”
