New Academic Year in Afghanistan will begin with schools remaining closed to girls

Khaama Press

March 19, 2025

The Taliban’s Ministry of Education announced that the new academic year in Afghanistan will start on Thursday, March 20, in colder regions. However, there was no mention of reopening girls’ schools beyond grade six. This marks the fourth year in a row that girls will be excluded from attending schools above this grade.

According to a statement released on March 18, 2025, the Taliban’s Minister of Education, Habibullah Agha, and other officials are scheduled to attend the ceremony to mark the beginning of the academic year at Amaniyeh High School in Kabul. However, there has been no mention of girls’ education at higher levels, signaling a continued ban on girls’ schooling beyond grade six.

The ban on girls’ education has sparked widespread domestic and international reactions. Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan, once again urged the Taliban administration to reopen schools and universities for girls, calling this restriction a major obstacle to the country’s progress.

People’s campaigns, such as “Let’s Read Together,” led by the Women’s Freedom Movement, have also called for the removal of this ban, warning that its continuation will have irreparable consequences for the future of the younger generation. UNESCO also announced in August 2024 that the deprivation of 1.4 million girls from education has destroyed the achievements of two decades of education in Afghanistan.

However, some officials of the Taliban regime have shown a different perspective. Shir Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the former political deputy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a controversial speech in January 2025 that led to his escape from Afghanistan, stated that the ban on girls’ education has no religious basis and is merely a personal decision by Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban.

This internal criticism is described as a reflection of divisions within the leadership of the Taliban, but no changes have been made to the official policy so far.

With the start of the new academic year, it will be the fourth year in a row that girls’ schools have been kept closed for higher education. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, they have shut down girls’ schools above grade six and banned women from working with NGOs, further curtailing their freedom and opportunities.

The previous government used to mark the beginning of the academic year on the third of March, but the Taliban has now shifted the start to first March, disregarding the traditional Nowruz celebrations. The Taliban claims that they need to ensure “conditions according to their requirements” and adjust the curriculum before reopening schools and universities for girls.

Despite nearly four years in power, the Taliban’s objectives regarding women’s and girls’ education remain unmet. They continue to ignore international reactions, labeling the issue as an “internal matter” of Afghanistan, and refuse to lift the ban on girls’ education. This ongoing situation has led to widespread condemnation from global organizations, yet the Taliban remains resolute in its position.

The continued restrictions on girls’ and women’s access to education in Afghanistan severely limit their opportunities for growth and development. These policies not only violate fundamental human rights but also harm the future of Afghanistan society as a whole.

The international community must continue to exert pressure on the Taliban to reverse these oppressive measures and ensure that girls and women in Afghanistan can access education and contribute to their communities.

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