UNESCO: Taliban ban has kept 2.4 million Afghan girls out of secondary school
Around 2.4 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied access to secondary education because of the Taliban’s ban on schooling beyond Grade 6, Hoda Jaberian, coordinator of UNESCO’s Education in Emergencies program, said on August 11, according to Amu.tv.
Jaberian said the estimate covers only girls who are unable to continue their education at secondary school. UNESCO does not have comparable figures for women who might otherwise have gone on to university, as such an estimate would require calculating how many girls would have completed school, enrolled in higher education and passed university entrance examinations.
The latest estimate of 2.4 million is higher than the previous figure of 2.2 million, reflecting the cumulative impact of the ban as new generations of girls reach secondary-school age.
The situation has been further complicated by the return of Afghan families from neighboring countries. According to UNESCO, children under the age of 15 account for 56% of current returnees. Girls who attended secondary school while living abroad are unable to continue their studies after returning to Afghanistan.
Restrictions also extend to higher education. Women are barred from attending universities, including medical institutions, and face obstacles in obtaining diplomas and other documents confirming their education.
Jaberian said it is impossible to determine how many women would have enrolled in universities had the restrictions not been imposed.
The restrictions have also affected boys’ education. In some cases, boys are being taught by inadequately trained teachers or are left without teachers because qualified specialists are unable to work, Jaberian said.
UNESCO continues to provide distance-learning and literacy programs in Afghanistan but stresses that these initiatives cannot replace in-person education delivered by qualified teachers.
The organization has again called for the immediate and unconditional restoration of access to secondary and higher education for Afghan girls and women.
Around 2.4 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied access to secondary education because of the Taliban’s ban on schooling beyond Grade 6, Hoda Jaberian, coordinator of UNESCO’s Education in Emergencies program, said on August 11, according to Amu.tv.
Jaberian said the estimate covers only girls who are unable to continue their education at secondary school. UNESCO does not have comparable figures for women who might otherwise have gone on to university, as such an estimate would require calculating how many girls would have completed school, enrolled in higher education and passed university entrance examinations.
The latest estimate of 2.4 million is higher than the previous figure of 2.2 million, reflecting the cumulative impact of the ban as new generations of girls reach secondary-school age.
The situation has been further complicated by the return of Afghan families from neighboring countries. According to UNESCO, children under the age of 15 account for 56% of current returnees. Girls who attended secondary school while living abroad are unable to continue their studies after returning to Afghanistan.
Restrictions also extend to higher education. Women are barred from attending universities, including medical institutions, and face obstacles in obtaining diplomas and other documents confirming their education.
Jaberian said it is impossible to determine how many women would have enrolled in universities had the restrictions not been imposed.
The restrictions have also affected boys’ education. In some cases, boys are being taught by inadequately trained teachers or are left without teachers because qualified specialists are unable to work, Jaberian said.
UNESCO continues to provide distance-learning and literacy programs in Afghanistan but stresses that these initiatives cannot replace in-person education delivered by qualified teachers.
The organization has again called for the immediate and unconditional restoration of access to secondary and higher education for Afghan girls and women.
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