Open Madrassas instead of schools: Panjsher girls

PARAKH (Pajhwok): Girl students of secondary and high schoosl in central Panjshir province have expressed their concerns over the closure of girls’ schools and asked the acting government to open religious schools — Madrassas — for them.

The Islamic Education Department pledged to opened religious schools for girls in the coming educational year.

Back in 2022, the ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’ (IEA) closed girls schools above class sixth and said a strategy was being worked out on the bases of which girls would be allowed to go to schools, but the strategy is yet to be completed and introduced.

Now some girls from secondary and high schools have demanded religious schools — madrassas — where they could go and learn education.

Nasrin, the student of class eight at Ghulam Haidar  school in Rakha district, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “It is third year for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan but girls school above class sixth are still closed while learning is our legitimate right, when schools are closed then government should open religious schools.”

Fatima, the student of class ninth at Naswan Peyawash High School in Rakha district, said: “Government should create official Madrassa when it did not want to reopen school so that girls are not deprived of education.”

Roya, another student deprived of education due to the closure of schools, demanded the opening of official religious schools for girls.

Girls interest in religious school has grown

Mawlavi Abdul Hafeez, Anwari, deputy education director of Jami Al Anwar Madrassa in Rakha district, said after the closure of girls schools above class sixth, girls’ interest in Madrassa had increased.

He added a large number of girls referred to the Jamai Al Anwar Madrassa for enrollment after the closure of schools but they were not entertained due to the lack of teachers and educational materials.

He said currently over 200 girls were getting education with them now and during the past regime they had up to 50 students.

Anwari said the IEA should consider other social needs as well and reopen girls’ schools

This comes that earlier, acting Interior Minister Serajuddin Haqqani during a meeting with the OIC uelma delegation said that girls education was the need of society and girls schools above class sixth would be soon reopened.

Sanobar, one of the Jami Al Anwar Madrassa students, said after the closure of girls’ school she suffered from depression and then she was happy to be enrolled in Madrassa and got her mental and psychological relieved.

She said: “I am worried for the other girls who do not have religious schools in their villages, the schools are also closed, they also wish and need education, when the government closes school, it should open religious  schools.”

Matiullah Jawad, deputy head of the Islamic Education Department, said next year government would strive for the establishment of new religious schools in the province.

He did not said how many religious schools would be created in the province but added the IEA leadership directed the Islamic Education Department in the centre to create 100,000 new posts for Islamic Education.

He said currently, 77 girls Madrassa, three Madrassa for boys and girl, three boys and girls Darululoms and 14 female Madrasas are operational in Panjsher province.

He added over 4,800 girls are currently studying in different religious schools in Panjshir.

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