At the start of the new academic year, Afghanistan's schools reopened on Tuesday, but no classes were held since the students were uninformed of the date and because hundreds of thousands of teenage girls are still prohibited from attending.
According to various teachers and authorities, the education ministry did not make any official announcements regarding the reopening of schools.
“A letter issued by the minister of education was given to us by our principal to reopen the school today, but since no public announcement was made, no students came,” said Mohammad Osman Atayi, a teacher at the Saidal Naseri Boys High School in Kabul.
Journalists toured seven schools in Kabul and saw only a few teachers and primary students arriving — but no classes were held. Schools also reopened in provinces including Herat, Kunduz, Ghazni and Badakhshan but no lessons were held there either, international media reported.
Yet, secondary education is still off limits to hundreds of thousands of teenage girls. The only nation in the world where girls are not allowed to attend secondary school is Afghanistan.
In March of last year, only hours after the education ministry reopened schools for both boys and girls, the prohibition on girls pursuing secondary education went into effect.
Taliban officials, who also exclude women from attending universities, have frequently asserted that they will reopen secondary schools for girls if certain "conditions" have been satisfied, including as obtaining funds and modifying the curriculum to reflect Islamic principles.
The international community has made the right to education for women a key condition in negotiations over aid and recognition of the Taliban government.
According to various teachers and authorities, the education ministry did not make any official announcements regarding the reopening of schools.
“A letter issued by the minister of education was given to us by our principal to reopen the school today, but since no public announcement was made, no students came,” said Mohammad Osman Atayi, a teacher at the Saidal Naseri Boys High School in Kabul.
Journalists toured seven schools in Kabul and saw only a few teachers and primary students arriving — but no classes were held. Schools also reopened in provinces including Herat, Kunduz, Ghazni and Badakhshan but no lessons were held there either, international media reported.
Yet, secondary education is still off limits to hundreds of thousands of teenage girls. The only nation in the world where girls are not allowed to attend secondary school is Afghanistan.
In March of last year, only hours after the education ministry reopened schools for both boys and girls, the prohibition on girls pursuing secondary education went into effect.
Taliban officials, who also exclude women from attending universities, have frequently asserted that they will reopen secondary schools for girls if certain "conditions" have been satisfied, including as obtaining funds and modifying the curriculum to reflect Islamic principles.
The international community has made the right to education for women a key condition in negotiations over aid and recognition of the Taliban government.
