Bamyanis happy over reopening of girls’ high schools

BAMYAN (Pajhwok): Residents of central Bamyan province have welcomed the reopening of high and secondary schools for girls in the province and called on education officials to reopen these schools in other provinces as well.

Last week, officials in Bamyan announced that high school and secondary schoolsfor girls would be reopened in the province.

After the fall of the republic government on August 15, the officials of the Islamic Emirate announced that they will not hinder the education of girls and women, but said that female workers of the government and girls students of high schools should stay at home until a safe environment for them ensured.

But in the last 20 days, girls’ high schools and secondary schools have reopened in a number of provinces of the country, and students and teachers attend their classes with observing Islamic hijab.

Saif-ur-RehmanMohammadi, director of information and culture of Bamyan, told Pajhwok Afghan News on October 21 that students in the province had been allowed to go to school.

Meanwhile, AyubAmiri, an employee of the Department of Education and former head of the department, said, “Parents of students, elders and influential figures in the last several days negotiated with education officials of the province for reopening girls’ high schools and secondary schools, the negotiations reached a fruitful conclusion.”

He said that girls’ classes were separated from the boys and were taught by female teachers.

Rahima, mother of a student in Bamyan’s Yakawalang district, said that schoolgirls of above the sixth grade were allowed to continue their education. She said she failed to continue her education in the 1980s due to civil conflicts.

Rahima says that after the fall of the republic government on August 15, she was afraid that her daughters would also face the same fate and not be able to continue their studies.

“We thank the Islamic Emirate from the bottom of our hearts for allowing our daughters to study, it is a very pleasant moment, and we ask the leaders of our government to reopen girls’ schools in other provinces of the country as well,” she added.

Meanwhile, Mina, a student of 12^th grade in a high school in Bamyan city, said, “I have no any other dreams than continuing my education, I want to become a doctor and serve women and girls of my province.”

She also thanked the Taliban for reopening schools and said, “Illiteracy of girls and women of this country is not in anyone’s interest, our government should not stop girls’ education.”

A teacher, who wished to go unnamed, said that previously schoolgirls up to sixth grade were allowed to attend their classes, but now girls of all grades were allowed to go to school.

The teacher also praised the decision for reopening these schools and said that girls’ high schools should be opened in other provinces too.

Mds/ma