Taliban, Mujahid – The Taliban spokesman said girls will return to school as soon as possible, however, he added that ‘ a safe learning environment ‘ is needed for older girls to fully return.
The girls will have to wait longer to be able to continue their studies in secondary school.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a press conference in Kabul on Tuesday that they were arranging and finalising things, that secondary school girls will return to school ‘as soon as possible.’
In Afghan, the Ministry of Education issued a statement on Saturday which explains that all male teachers and students should start attending their educational institutions while noting was said about the female.
This lack of clarity has posses a strange feeling among female educators and students. They fear the Taliban will return to its 1990s rule of restrictions.
However, the Taliban new rule on education outlined that teaching will work from a gender-to-gender perspective.
Meaning that girls and women can only be taught by female, but in the case where there are not enough female teachers, older male teacher who is pious will be allowed to teach.
Females in university will also be allowed to study, but they must study under gender segregation.
“a safe learning environment” is needed
In the new Taliban statement, because there is no clarity of what’s needed to be done. Most females fear that the statement could be to sugarcoat them and to diversify the international attention regarding female education in Afghan.
He also did not clarify what shortcomings the previous education system had that the Taliban considered impediments to girls returning to school. Secondary schools were segregated under the previous government as well. – Aljazeera.
Over The Fear Of Returning To Their 1990s Rule
Female educators and students are still worrying that Mujahid’s lack of clarity is because the Taliban want to return to its 1990s rule, the ruling which spans for five years.
At that time, only female doctors were allowed to work and all women and girls were banned from education – they were not allowed to go to school.
Some women in Kabul, Herat and Kandahar said ‘they have been unable to return to work under Taliban rule.’
Gender-segregated Under The Previous Afghan Government
The previous government and the female minister of education proposed restrictions on girls’ education, but things don’t work well.
Because Rangina Hamidi the then-acting Minister of Education was heavily criticised for such policy. The proposed policy was said to restrict older girls from singing at school functions.
The singing restriction ban was lifted after a social media campaign.
The Afghan government was also gender-segregated under the past-government as well.
The Taliban spokesman girls will return to school as soon as possible, but it can take some time due to the arrangement of a safe learning environment. However, the needed arrangement did not mention in his statement.