Taliban reopens Afghan schools — except for girls after sixth grade

“All #girls_schools (secondary and high school) will be closed until further notice,” The Ministry of Education announced in a tweet Wednesday, stating that it hasn’t designed a school uniform for female students that is “in accordance with Sharia (Islamic) law, Afghan culture and customs.”

The ministry said a second ruling would reopen all girls schools, but did not state when the ruling would be issued.

Local media shared images and videos of young women and girls crying after not being allowed to enter school buildings in Kabul Wednesday morning.

“We are also humans. Why should we not be allowed to go to school? Our hearts crying tears of blood,” one woman told an Afghan television network, not identifying herself by name on camera. “Why? What did we do? What are we guilty of?” she asked.

“This is a mere allegation against the Taliban that we are anti-education,” said Mawlawi Noorul Haq, a senior Taliban official during a ceremony marking the reopening of schools. The event was held at an all boys school in central Kabul.

“In reality, the basis of the Taliban is knowledge. We fought against ignorance,” he said.

The Taliban barred girls from education beyond elementary school in the majority of the Afghan territory it controlled before the group took over the entire country last year. In many Taliban controlled districts there was not a single functioning girls’ school for years.

After the military overthrow of the previous government more than seven months ago, the Taliban shut schools across the country, stating the group needed time to develop national education policies. The group issued vague statements when asked about the future of education for women, especially beyond the elementary school level. Generally, Afghan students are 13 years old when they enter secondary school in the seventh grade.

“We assure our Afghan sisters that they would be allowed to attend school once our leadership makes a decision.” Aziz Ahmad Rayan, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education, said Wednesday. Rayan pledged last week that all girls would be allowed to return to school, but said “some cultural and religious obligations,” need to be considered by the Taliban’s acting cabinet.

Wednesday’s ruling will likely be seen as a setback in the eyes of Western governments that have been pushing the Taliban to be respectful of the rights of women and allow access to education for all Afghans regardless of gender.

Rayan said ultimately the decision regarding access to education for Afghan women and girls needs to be made by the top leadership.

“Reopening of girl’s schools above the sixth grade is beyond the mandate of the Education Ministry,” he said. But he added the ministry will “work closely with Taliban leadership to secure permission for the reopening of all girls schools.”

Haq Nawaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan contributed to this report.