The Taliban Hammered the Final Nail in Their Ban on Girls' Education and Schooling

Citing the decree of Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, regarding the prohibition of education for girls above the sixth grade, this directorate has instructed the relevant authorities to prevent girls from attending educational centers in Herat province.

Meanwhile, girls deprived of education in Herat province say that with this ban, the Taliban have extinguished the last ray of hope in their hearts, but they have once again lit the fire of staying at home for them.

Hewa, a 22-year-old girl whose face reflects sorrow and grief, speaks with a choked voice full of emotion to Zan TV, saying: "I studied until the third semester at the Faculty of Psychology at Herat University, but after the ban on girls attending university, I sought refuge in an educational center to escape the psychological challenges and confinement at home, to learn English and stay away from this situation. But today, they have closed this door to us as well."

As Hewa warms her frozen hands with her breath, she continues with a trembling voice and teary eyes, saying: "There is a saying that goes, the final nail was hammered into the coffin of something. Today, the Taliban hammered the final nail into the door of education and schooling. Truly, there is no other way left for us because we are girls."

Shima Karimi, another girl deprived of education and a third-year student at the Faculty of Public Administration and Policy at Herat University, turned to learning computer skills after the ban on education for girls. However, she says that by closing the doors of educational centers to girls, the Taliban have extinguished the last ray of light in their hearts. "I was confined to my home for a while, burning in the furnace of confinement. With the mental health issues still in place, I came to this center with the help of my family and friends to improve my computer skills. But now this has also been forbidden for us. Perhaps the Taliban will say in a few days that breathing is forbidden for girls. This was our last hope, and now even this light has turned to darkness."

Shafiqa Shojai, another girl who is learning a language at one of Herat's educational centers, complains about the strict rules of the Taliban. She says that although the Taliban had previously forced them to wear black hijabs, they have now deprived them of the right to attend private educational centers."

She says: "Believe me, it was very hard for me to accept wearing a full-body veil, but in order to increase my capacity and awareness, I accepted it. Right now, I don't know what the authorities of the Emirate want to do with us. I don't know what our sin is. I don't know which door to go to next."

Nevertheless, some teachers at educational centers in Herat have described the new Taliban decree as concerning, saying that with the implementation of this decree, they have lost more than 90 percent of their students.

Mahdia Mursal, a language teacher at one of the educational centers in Herat province, says: "Imagine, more than ninety percent of our students were girls above the sixth grade, but currently, not even ten percent remain in the classrooms. How can we pay for rent, electricity, and other expenses of our center? This action of the government is truly painful and concerning. Where has the world come, and which direction are we heading in?"

According to these teachers, if the Taliban do not end the ban on girls' education at private educational centers, they will be forced to close the educational doors and leave their jobs.

The Taliban have announced the ban on girls attending private educational centers in Herat province, while previously, on December 4 of this year, they had also declared the ban on girls' education in medical institutes.