Taliban orders shutting down of secondary girl schools in Afghanistan just hours after reopening
Taliban rulers decided against opening schools to girls above the sixth grade, reneging on a previous promise and opting to appease their hardline base at the expense of further alienating the international community.
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FollowThe Taliban on Wednesday announced the reopening of secondary schools, more than seven months after seizing power and imposing harsh restrictions on the rights of women to be educated. However, mere hours later the Islamic outfit ordered shutting down of secondary girl schools in Afghanistan, reported news agency AFP.
Taliban rulers decided against opening schools to girls above the sixth grade, reneging on a previous promise and opting to appease their hardline base at the expense of further alienating the international community.
The unexpected decision, confirmed by a Taliban official Wednesday, came at the start of the new school year in Afghanistan. It is bound to disrupt Taliban efforts to win recognition from potential international donors, at a time when the country is mired in a worsening humanitarian crisis.
The decision to postpone a return of girls going to school in higher levels appeared to be a concession to the rural and deeply tribal backbone of the hardline Taliban movement, that in many parts of the countryside are reluctant to send their daughters to school.
The decision to cancel the return of girls to school came late in the night on Tuesday, Waheedullah Hashmi, external relations and donor representative with the Taliban-led administration, told The Associated Press.
“It was late last night that we received word from our leadership that schools will stay closed for girls,” said Hashmi. “We don't say they will be closed forever.”
The international community has made the right to education for all a sticking point in negotiations over aid and recognition of the new regime, with several nations and organisations offering to pay teachers.
Girls were banned from attending schools in Afghanistan after the Islamic outfit-sized power in August last year. Since taking power in Afghanistan, the Taliban had rolled back women's rights in virtually every area, including crushing women’s freedom of movement.
Girls were banned from attending schools in Afghanistan after the Islamic outfit-seized power in August last year. Since taking power in Afghanistan, the Taliban had rolled back women’s rights in virtually every area, including crushing women’s freedom of movement.
Universities recently reopened, with new gender segregation rules. But many women still couldn’t return back because the career they studied for would essentially go in vain, as the Taliban have put a ban on most jobs for women.
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