The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) announced that with the beginning of the new academic year in Afghanistan, 1.4 million girls have still been deprived of education beyond the sixth grade.
The organisation stated that female students were hopeful to return to their classrooms to pursue knowledge and growth.
UNESCO's office in Kabul wrote on its official Facebook page on Thursday, "Excluding girls from school harms their well-being and hinders Afghanistan's development."
On Wednesday, Taliban’s education ministry officials held the commencement ceremony for the new academic year at the Amani High School in Kabul without the presence of girls and women.
With the start of the new academic year, Taliban’s Minister of Education, Habibullah Agha, urged teachers and students to refrain from wearing clothing contrary to "Islamic principles and Afghani traditions”.
He said that teachers and students must align their "appearance and conduct" with Islamic principles.
However, the Taliban’s Education Minister did not provide any explanation regarding which clothing might be "contrary to Islamic and Afghan principles”.
Following the takeover of power in August 2021, the Taliban closed girls' schools beyond the sixth grade. Additionally, they prohibited girls from pursuing higher education at universities and women from employment in non-governmental organisations.
In the previous government, the new academic year began on the third day of the month Hamal (Afghanistan Calendar). However, the Taliban, by omitting the celebration of Nowruz, held the academic year commencement on first of this month.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Education requested reporters to attend the commencement ceremony for the new educational year at Amani High School. Additionally, this ministry instructed female reporters not to participate in this event.
