Turkey 'regrets' Taliban's decision to bar girls from attending school beyond sixth grade

Photo: AA/File

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged the Taliban to allow girls of all ages to attend school, following the group's decision to suspend schooling for girls beyond the sixth grade.

"We regret the continuation of the restriction on the participation of girls in secondary education in the new school term that started today in Afghanistan," the ministry said in a statement late yesterday (March 23).

"We call on the Interim Government of Afghanistan to allow girls of all ages to partake in education in an inclusive manner as soon as possible, first and foremost for the benefit of the Afghan people, and emphasize that we will continue to stand by the Afghan people in these difficult days."

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Educational institutions in Afghanistan reopened yesterday following a nearly seven-month break.

Girls attended classes, but those above the sixth grade were later asked to stay home. The Taliban said girls' high schools will remain closed until a plan is drawn up "in accordance with Islamic law and Afghan culture," Anadolu Agency (AA) reported, quoting Afghanistan's state-run Bakhtar News Agency.

The UN has expressed "grave concern" and "disappointment" over the closure of secondary schools for girls.

"Education is a fundamental human right, and is essential for Afghanistan to pull itself out of the economic crisis and create a strong social fabric," said Deborah Lyons, UN secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN mission in Afghanistan.

The Taliban took over in August 2021 after the US-led foreign forces left the country.

The withdrawal resulted in a collapse of the US-backed Kabul administration, paving the way for the Taliban to enter the capital city. (VK)