Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has said that “now is not the time to discuss” reopening schools for girls above the sixth grade, as restrictions on girls’ education in Afghanistan continue.
Speaking at a news conference in Kabul on Sunday, Mujahid was asked about the continued ban on girls’ education beyond primary school. He acknowledged the situation as a “disruption” but did not indicate any immediate change in the Taliban’s policy.
Mujahid said more than 10.3 million students and pupils enrolled in religious schools are currently studying across Afghanistan. However, girls above the sixth grade remain excluded from formal secondary education under the restrictions imposed by the Taliban authorities.
According to UNICEF, more than 2.4 million girls in Afghanistan are currently barred from education beyond sixth grade. The continued restrictions have made Afghanistan the only country in the world where girls and women are formally denied access to secondary and higher education.
The Taliban has repeatedly said that it is committed to education but has linked the reopening of secondary schools for girls to conditions it considers appropriate under its interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture.
International organizations and governments have repeatedly called on the Taliban to reverse restrictions on girls’ education, warning that the policy is damaging Afghanistan’s future and limiting opportunities for an entire generation.
Mujahid’s latest remarks suggest that no immediate decision to reopen secondary schools for girls is expected, leaving millions of Afghan girls without access to education beyond the sixth grade.