Taliban again delays reopening of girls’ schools above grade six
The Taliban administration has once again declined to give a timeline for reopening girls’ schools above grade six, a decision that prolongs the exclusion of millions of girls from education.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, said at a news conference in Kabul on Tuesday, in response to a question about reopening girls’ schools above grade six: “Now is not the time to talk about this issue.”
He made the remarks while presenting what he described as the achievements of the Taliban’s ministries of education and higher education. Mujahid also said the number of school pupils, university students and madrasa students across Afghanistan stood at more than 10.3 million.
The Taliban spokesman at the same time described the exclusion of girls from education beyond grade six as “a setback,” but gave no explanation for when the restriction would end.
This comes after UNICEF previously said more than 2.4 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied education beyond grade six. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has stopped girls’ education above grade six, a move that has drawn widespread criticism from international organisations and human rights activists.
