KABUL (SW)) – The school bells rang on Wednesday for a new academic year with no signs for the reopening of girls schools above grade six.
Officials of the Ministry of Education of the de-facto government, by ringing the school bell at the Amani High School in Kabul city, started the new educational year without the presence of girl students.
This is the third educational year that female students above the sixth grade in Afghanistan are deprived of education. Upon taking charge in August 2021, the de-facto government of the Islamic Emirate banned the education of female students above the sixth grade until further notice, an action that has led to domestic and international condemnations.
Yesterday, many citizens and officials of the former government asked the de-facto government of Afghanistan to reopen the gates of schools to female students above the sixth grade.
Despite all this, Habibullah Agha, Acting Minister of Education, in the program of ringing the school bell at the Amani High School, without any reference to girls, said that this ministry is committed to provide standard and balanced educational services to citizens in remote parts of Afghanistan as well as children returning from neighboring countries.
The acting minister of education asked the families to register their eligible children in school after the beginning of the new educational year. He added: “The educational curriculum of contemporary and religious sciences in the country is of poor quality and we cannot achieve anything with poor quality knowledge. We are trying to improve contemporary and religious sciences to keep pace with global standards.”
The officials of the Ministry of Education asked the professional and technical personnel of Afghanistan, especially the education specialists, to share their consultations with them in order to standardize the education structure.
Meanwhile, Abdul Salam Hanafi, Acting Second Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs of the Islamic Emirate, emphasized upon the teaching of modern sciences in this program. “We need modern science and technology to progress. During the years of war, children in remote areas were left away from education, and we are trying to expand schools in remote areas, and we also need modern and religious sciences in society.”
However, a number of female students above the 6th grade ask the de-facto government of the Islamic Emirate to open the gates of schools to female students above the 6th grade.
Tahmina, a seventh grade student at Zabihullah Esmati school in Kabul city, told Salam Watandar: “I am very sad that I cannot study further. I want our schools to open.”
Parwana, an 11th grade student at “Rahman Mina” school in Kabul city, said: “This year, I was in 12th grade and I am worried that only boys’ schools have started, but not for us. We ask the Islamic Emirate to allow us to study.”
The officials of the Ministry of Education still say that due to the work on the curriculum for female students above the sixth grade, the gates of the schools are closed to them, and once this issue is resolved, all girls can go to school.
