Prohibition of Girls’ Education: Tahera Receives Online Education with the Help of Her Brother

Karima Muradi

Bayan News – After two years, there is still no news of the reopening of girls’ schools and universities for female students. Every time the issue of schools and universities becomes a topic on social media, Afghan women and girls tremble with fear. For example, the results of the 1402 entrance exam were announced in a completely male-oriented manner, with no girls participating. This has once again plunged female students and university hopefuls into despair and hopelessness.

Sahar, an 11th-grade student, says that whenever news of school reopening is shared on social media, she prays for it to be true. But after a few days, there is no news of schools reopening, nor any updates on the situation. She no longer trusts the talk and rumors of schools reopening.

Sahar’s family cannot afford to provide online education opportunities because they are in poor economic conditions. As a result, Sahar now goes to a tailor, where she receives free training.

Sahar says she has been forced to become a tailor, even though she has never had an interest in sewing. She wanted to study and become a doctor, but since her hand is not extended to anyone, she is learning tailoring to make a living.

Similarly, Tahera, a 9th-grade student, was supposed to be promoted to the 10th grade, but the schools closed their doors to girls. She had hoped that schools would reopen in the near future, allowing her to advance to the 10th grade. She has gone through very difficult days, and the depression and hopelessness of these days have shattered her dreams of school reopening, leaving her cornered.

Tahera dreamed of becoming a writer in the future. She was supposed to prepare for the university entrance exam this year. However, now that schools are taken away from us, the exam has been postponed for two years, depriving us of education and the opportunity to move up to higher grades.

Although she continues online courses in English and mathematics after the closure of schools, she cannot progress to higher grades like in conventional schools. Tahera’s brother helps her with online lessons, but she says, “My motivation decreases day by day. Besides my brother’s assistance in my studies, going to school is one of my aspirations. It was only through that school that I could fulfill my dreams.”

Tahera is fortunate that her family has provided her with the blessings of a computer, a phone, and the internet. She learns all the computer courses on her computer. Unfortunately, the majority of families, due to their poor economic conditions, cannot provide such opportunities for their daughters. They consider education as the only hope for their children’s progress.

These families are urging the Islamic Emirate government to reopen schools for girls this year so that their daughters can study alongside their brothers. Two years ago, on September 17th, the Islamic Emirate government, through a decree, closed all girls’ schools. Although this action received strong national and international backlash, there has been no flexibility or change in their behavior regarding the reopening of girls’ schools in the two years since this decision was made.