Taliban representative says ‘a safe learning environment’ is needed before older girls could fully return to school.
Girls will have to wait longer to return to secondary school in Afghanistan, according to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, as concerns raises over the fate of women’s education under the new government.
Speaking at a press conference in the capital Kabul on Tuesday, Mujahid said the group was “finalizing things” and that secondary school girls will return to the classroom “as soon as possible.”
On Saturday, the Ministry of Education issued a statement saying, “All male teachers and students should attend their educational institutions,” but made no mention of girls or women.
As part of their new rules on education, girls and women can only be taught by female teachers or, in situations where there are not enough female teachers, by “older” men who have shown that they are “pious”. Likewise, women are able to return to universities but must study under some form of gender segregation.
Mujahid said “a safe learning environment” would need to be established before older girls could fully return to school. He provided no details on what exactly needs to be done to create such an environment.
He also did not clarify what shortcomings the prior education system had that the Taliban considered impediments to girls returning to school. Secondary schools were segregated under the previous government as well.
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