ISLAMABAD/KABUL: Schools in Afghanistan reopened on Tuesday for the new academic year, however, no classes were held as students remained unaware of the start, and girls barred from attending classes.
Afghanistan is the only country where girls are banned from attending schools, colleges, and universities.
Taliban government has imposed an harsh interpretation of Islam since taking over power in 2021 after the withdrawal of the US-led foreign troops that backed the previous governments.
The ministry of education did not publicly announced the reopening of schools, many teachers and officials said.
“A letter issued by the education minister was given to us by our principal to reopen the schools today (Tuesday), but no students came since no public announcement was made,” said Mohammad.
A teacher Osman Atayi at the Saidal Naseri Boys High School in Kabul.
AFP journalists visited seven schools in Kabul and saw only some teachers and primary students arriving, but no classes were held.
The Schools reopened in provinces including Herat, Ghazni, Kunduz, and Badakhshan, but no classes were held there either, AFP correspondents reported.
School reopening coincides with Nowruz
Tuesday’s start of the fresh academic year coincided with Nowruz, the Persian New Year, an event celebrated widely in the country before the Taliban, who do not acknowledge it, returned to power.
“The Taliban government has snatched everything from us,” said Sadaf Haidari, a resident of Kabul who was set to start grade 11 this year.
“I’m depressed and broken”, she said.
The restrictions on girls’ education came into effect in March of the previous year, just hours after the education ministry reopened schools for both boys and girls.
