Afghan girls left out as secondary school boys resume classes

KABUL • Girls were excluded from returning to secondary schools in Afghanistan yesterday, after the country's new Taliban rulers ordered only boys and male teachers back to the classroom.

The hardline Islamist group ousted the US-backed government last month, promising a softer brand of rule than their repressive reign in the 1990s, when women were mostly banned from education and work.

But the diktat from the Education Ministry was the latest move from the new government to threaten women's rights. "All male teachers and students should attend their educational institutions," a statement issued late on Friday said ahead of classes resuming the next day. It made no mention of female teachers or students.

Secondary schools, with students typically between the ages of 13 and 18, are often segregated by gender in Afghanistan. During the Covid-19 pandemic, they have faced repeated closures and have been shut since the Taliban seized power.

Since a US-led invasion ousted the Taliban in 2001, significant progress has been made in girls' education, with the number of schools tripling and female literacy nearly doubling to 30 per cent - but the change was largely limited to the cities.

The United Nations said it is "deeply worried" for the future of girls' schooling in Afghanistan.

Primary schools have reopened, with boys and girls mostly attending separate classes and some women teachers returning to work. The new regime has also permitted women to go to private universities, though with tough restrictions on their clothes and movement.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE