Robert Besser
24 Mar 2023, 23:04 GMT+10
KABUL, Afghanistan: Afghanistan's education ministry has announced that the country's school year has begun, but the United Nations children's agency, UNICEF, renewed calls for teenage girls to be able to attend classes.
After claiming they would open schools for all students last year, Taliban authorities made a U-Turn and banned girls from attending classes, causing global condemnation that has hampered the Islamist group's efforts to gain international recognition.
Afghan primary schools for girls have stayed open, but for the most part high schools have been closed.
In December, the Taliban banned female students from attending university, causing an international outcry and protests in some Afghan cities.
"As the new school year in Afghanistan begins, we rejoice in the millions of boys and girls returning to primary school classrooms. Yet, we are deeply disappointed not to see adolescent girls going back to their classrooms, as well," tweeted Fran Equiza, UNICEF's Afghanistan representative.
As a result of the Taliban ban, enrollment at female religious schools, the only remaining option for girls, has increased over the past year.
In the capital, Kabul, school openings appeared limited during Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which is widely celebrated in Afghanistan and had previously been a public holiday.
In 2022, Taliban authorities said they would not recognize Nowruz as a public holiday, but they did not prevent people from celebrating in private.
Get a daily dose of Utah Independent news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Utah Independent.
More InformationCHISINAU, Moldova: Over the weekend, heavy snowfall and strong blizzards in Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria left one person dead and ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: After a House Ethics Committee report found substantial evidence that he broke the law, New York Republican representative ...
In a report by The New York Times, it has been revealed that Israeli officials had obtained a detailed battle ...
NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar: Kyar Win, spokesperson for the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, which launched a surprise offensive last month against ...
While Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has been frantically shuttling around the Middle East trying to stop the Israeli coflict ...
LESBOS, Greece: Greek authorities said a cargo ship sank off the island of Lesbos over the weekend during a storm, ...
CHEYENNE, Wyoming: This week, the Biden administration raised US$3.4 million from a sale of oil and gas drilling rights in ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks extended their rally on Friday despite remarks by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell ...
MOSCOW, Russia: Russia's trade in oil with India, one of the most lucrative oil trade routes since the imposition of ...
LONDON - Health experts and tobacco campaigners have strongly criticized New Zealand's decision to repeal laws that aimed to ban ...
NEW YORK, New York - The Dow Jones index was the standout on U.S. financial markets on Thursday with a ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: Despite the ongoing economic uncertainty, major discounts during the Thanksgiving weekend enticed U.S. shoppers, who spent some US$38 ...