AFGHANISTAN: Save the Children appalled by reports that formal ban on girls’ education will continue as secondary schools reopen across the country today

KABUL, 23 March - Today, Taliban leadership announced that all secondary school classes for girls are to be suspended, pending further policy.   

Earlier in the week, the Ministry of Education confirmed that all boys and girls would be returning to school today and that all necessary accommodations would be made to make sure that Afghan girls would have access to a quality education. This morning, Afghan secondary school girls made their way to their classes across the country only to find out when they had arrived that the Ministry of Education had reversed their decision, causing confusion, uncertainty and despair for girls who have already been denied access to an education for months.  

Save the Children’s Regional Director for Asia, Hassan Noor Saadi, said:  

“All girls have a right to an education. The authorities have made repeated statements in recent weeks that they will restore girl’s access to education in Afghanistan. Today, we are appalled that the authorities have failed to fulfil their promise.   

Every day girls are out of school is a day their basic human rights are being denied. We urge the authorities to reverse this decision and ensure schools for girls open immediately. Girls must be allowed to return to school.”

Save the Children has been supporting communities and protecting children's rights across Afghanistan since 1976, including during periods of conflict, regime change, and natural disasters. The organisation has programmes in 10 provinces and work with partners in an additional three provinces. Since the crisis escalated in August 2021, Save the Children has been scaling up its response to support the increasing number of children in need, delivering health, nutrition, education, child protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene and food security and livelihoods support.