ISLAMABAD: The college 12 months in Afghanistan began Wednesday however with out women whom the Taliban barred from attending courses past the sixth grade, making it the one nation with restrictions on feminine training. The UN kids’s company says greater than 1 million women are affected by the ban. It additionally estimates 5 million have been out of college earlier than the Taliban takeover as a result of an absence of amenities and different causes. The Taliban’s training ministry marked the beginning of the brand new educational 12 months with a ceremony that feminine journalists weren’t allowed to attend. The invites despatched out to reporters mentioned: “Because of the lack of an acceptable place for the sisters, we apologize to feminine reporters.” Throughout a ceremony, the Taliban’s training minister, Habibullah Agha, mentioned that the ministry is attempting “to extend the standard of training of spiritual and trendy sciences as a lot as attainable.” The Taliban have been prioritizing Islamic data over primary literacy and numeracy with their shift towards madrassas, or spiritual faculties. The minister additionally known as on college students to keep away from sporting garments that contradict Islamic and Afghan ideas. Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister, mentioned they have been attempting to develop training in “all distant areas within the nation.” The Taliban beforehand mentioned women persevering with their training went in opposition to their strict interpretation of Islamic legislation, or Sharia, and that sure situations have been wanted for his or her return to highschool. Nevertheless, they made no progress in creating mentioned situations. Once they dominated Afghanistan within the Nineties, additionally they banned women’ training. Regardless of initially promising a extra average rule, the group has additionally barred girls from larger training, public areas like parks, and most jobs as a part of harsh measures imposed after they took over following the withdrawal of US and Nato forces from the nation in 2021. The ban on women’ training stays the Taliban’s largest impediment to gaining recognition because the authentic rulers of Afghanistan. Though Afghan boys have entry to training, Human Rights Watch has criticized the Taliban, saying their “abusive” academic insurance policies are harming boys in addition to women. The group, in a report printed in December, mentioned there was much less consideration to the deep hurt inflicted on boys’ training as certified academics – together with girls – left, and inclusion of regressive curriculum modifications in addition to a rise in corporal punishment have led to falling attendance.
