Back at school for the first time since the Taliban seized power in August last year, girl students at a school in Kabul tearfully packed up their belongings and filed out of their school premises.
‘When the Taliban took over last August, schools were closed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but only boys and younger girls were allowed to resume classes two months later. There were fears the Taliban would shut down all formal education for girls, as they did during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001′ said an AFP report.
All schools are going to open to all boys and girls,’ Aziz Ahmad Rayan, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education, had earlier told Reuters.
According to the report, the Taliban had then said that they ‘will allow girls around Afghanistan to return to class when high schools open.’
Girls had returned in excitement to campuses on Wednesday morning, but were instead ordered to go home. Girls particularly above grade six were not allowed to sit in classrooms and turned away.
‘We all got disappointed and we all became totally hopeless when the principal told us, she was also crying.’
Amnesty International released a statement saying it was ‘deeply concerned about the news of Talibans complete reversal on its decision to open secondary school for girls.’