In a heartbreaking scene, Afghan schoolgirls are concluding their sixth-grade education with tears as the Taliban’s stringent rules bring an end to their academic journey. The Taliban, under their rule since September 2021, declared that girls are prohibited from pursuing education beyond the sixth grade. This education ban was extended to universities in December 2022, drawing global condemnation and warnings that such restrictions could jeopardize the Taliban’s legitimacy.
Expressing concern about the consequences, UN special envoy Roza Otunbayeva highlighted that with each passing day, a generation of Afghan girls is falling behind. Last week, an official from the Education Ministry mentioned that Afghan girls are allowed to study in religious schools (madrassas), traditionally reserved for boys. However, uncertainty prevails about the existence of a standardized curriculum that includes modern subjects.
One such student, Bahara, is determined to hold onto her education and continues to study at home. However, the lack of a graduation ceremony at Bibi Razia School added to the disappointment of her and her classmates. Bahara expressed, “Graduating (from sixth grade) means we are going to seventh grade. But all of our classmates cried, and we were very disappointed.”
In Kabul, Setayesh Sahibzada, a 13-year-old, reflects on an uncertain future, saddened by the fact that she can no longer pursue her dreams through education. “I can’t stand on my own two feet,” she laments. “I wanted to be a teacher. But now I can’t study; I can’t go to school.” Analyst Muhammad Saleem Paigir warned that excluding women and girls from education would have disastrous consequences for Afghanistan.
The Taliban’s restrictions extend beyond education, with women barred from public spaces and most jobs, effectively confining them to their homes. As Afghanistan grapples with these restrictive measures, the international community closely watches the unfolding humanitarian crisis.
(Report by PTI)
