KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghan politicians and high school students Wednesday lamented the government’s decision to cancel higher education for girls, asking the regime to keep the gate for girls education open.
Today, March 23 marks the beginning of new academic year in the country, but the Ministry of Education has said that the reopening of girls' schools above the sixth grade has been delayed until further notice.
The ministry said that all schools would be opened once a uniform based on Islamic rules and Afghan tradition was prepared.
Some former officials, students and others have reacted to the government's decision order closure of high schools for girls.
Reactions of former officials:
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has expressed regret over the delay in reopening of girls schools and asked the government reopen girls’ schools immediately.
He called on the government to keep the door for girls’ education open for a prosperous and developed Afghanistan and prevent implementation of plans of foreign bad wishers who are against the education in the country.
The head of the previous government's High Council of National Reconciliation (HCNR), Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, also Tweetedthat the closure of schools for girls at the beginning of the new school year was against public expectations.
He hopes the government will address the issue.
“Education and access to education is a fundamental Islamic and civic right of all our compatriots. School doors should be open to all girls and boys at the beginning of the academic year,” he said.
Former Nangarhar governor, Zia-ul-HaqAmarkhel also in a Facebook post said, “Closure of schools for students above the grade six is a sad news, it broke the hearts of many families, schools were shut almost for a year due to Covid-19 restrictions and now it was cancelled again…”
He hopes the schools would be reopened soon.
Mohammad HanifAtmar, foreign minister of the previous government, also Tweeted, “Depriving the children of this country from education or delaying it is not only in violation of religious values and human rights, but it is a betrayal to people and development of the country.”
He also said that the doors of schools should be opened for all girls.
Poet and writer, MatiullahTurab, said, "There was no peace, no schools were open, no inclusive government was formed, no people employed based on merit, no independence was achieved and no progress was made, that is the plight of Afghans.”
What do students say?
Bushra, a student in the 11thgrade in Qabilbai Girls’ High School in Kabul, told Pajhwok Afghan News that she was happy to hear about the opening of girls' schools a day earlier and had no expectation that the school doors would be closed to them again today.
She said that the government’s decision regarding schools wondered people.
"The education of girls should not be a victim of politics, yesterday, the Ministry of Education announced that schools would be started across the country. Why are they closed today? The government has to explain it to people, otherwise the decision would create a distance between people and government,” she said.
She said the education of higher-grade girls had been hampered for two years, first by coronavirus restrictions and then by political changes in the country.
She called on the government to reopen schools for girls as soon as possible.
Atifa, a 12th grade student at Porak Girls' High School in the capital of Logar province, says there is no reason the school doors should be closed to girls.
She said that the uniforms of all girl students are completely Islamic and based on Afghan culture as well as all their teachers were women and taught in separate classes from boys.
"Girls should be given their rights, education is our right, why the Islamic Emirate is looking for excuses and keeping a large part of the society in ignorance and darkness," she said.
She also asked the government to reopen schools for girls.
A video of a student of Zarghona High School in Kabul, who burst into tears over the closure of her school, went viral on social media. She urged the government to open schools for girls as soon as possible.
"I do not know what to say and what to demand. We hope the Islamic Emirate will reopen the school for girls as soon as possible, it has been 186 days since we are in unknown fate, I cried about the reopening of schools yesterday, I cry today for its closure again, where should we go? Aren’t we from Afghanistan?” the girl said.
Another video that show several students and a number of teachers meeting in a room and criticizing the government's decision is also circulating on social media networks.
These girls say that after six months, they went to school today wearing Sharia hijab, but were not allowed to enter the classrooms and were told that the school was closed to girls until further notice.
A teacher in the video also says that for how long the school will be closed to girls.
She said the girls in the past also used to go to school in sharia hijab and today they wore the same, but they were not allowed to enter classes.
A number of students of Sardar Kabuli High School in 7thpolice district of Kabul City also protested in front of the school in reaction to the government's decision.
UNAMA, Amnesty International, the US Chargd'Affaires and the German Ambassador to Afghanistan have also expressed concern over the government's move.
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