THE Afghan Taliban’s and girls education
No Education for girls in afghanistan THE Afghan Taliban’s announcement of the indefinite closure of girls’ schools just two days after their education ministry released a congratulatory video is both disappointing and deeply concerning. On March 21, the Taliban said they would lift a seven-month-old de facto ban on girls’ education from Class 6 onwards and reopen schools on the first day of Afghanistan’s new academic year. Two days later, the Taliban backtracked, saying they were putting in place policies compliant with the “principles of Islamic law and Afghan culture”. One report said the education ministry was facing a shortage of teachers, following the exodus of thousands of Afghans, many among them trained teachers, after the Taliban’s triumphant march into Kabul last August. A senior Taliban figure said the schools would be reopened after a “standardised uniform” for girls was introduced that reflected the Afghan culture. But there was also a report suggesting deep divisions
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