After school ban, Afghan girls are enrolling in madrassas to continue education

Banned form schools and universities, Afghan girls are increasingly turning to madrassas to continue learning, reported The National. Learning in the Islamic religious schools has allowed these girls to access learning spaces but experts are warning that the education cannot be a substitute for what the girls had access to during the previous US-backed Afghan regime.

After the Taliban seized power in the country in August 2021, the group has gradually and methodically restricted access to education to girls and women. Although initially Taliban claimed to be lenient towards women's education, they soon reneged on their promises.

The Taliban currently allows girls above Grade 6 - aged 11 and 12 - to study in religious schools.

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“I joined this madrassa a month ago. It's close to my house,” said Munira,16, a student in Kabul as quoted by The National.

“I am happy to be able to learn reading Quran and some religious topics. But I wanted to become a doctor.”

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Munira told the news outlet that she was shocked when her school shut down two years ago.

A Unesco report revealed earlier this year that about 2.5 million Afghan girls and young women did not have access to education system. This comes to 80 per cent of the age group.

The number includes 1.2 million who were denied access to secondary and university education by the Taliban.

The report cited Afghanistan's Ministry of Education numbers to say that more than 20,000 older girls were studying at government-run madrassas. The total number or girls and young women studying in these religious schools comes to 95,000.

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In addition to government-run madrassas, private madrassas are taking in female students too.

Sajeda Baqi (43), a former religious studies lecturer, when forced to stay home after Taliban closed university for girls, opened a private religious school in Kabul.

“We have more than 50 girl students so far, some of whom are older girls who cannot go to public school because of the ban on girls’ education," she told The National.

“Every day, we accept new female students.”

Madrassas 'do not replace schools'

Experts are warning that only religious education may not fulfill girls' educational needs.

“Madrassas might provide many girls an opportunity to continue engaging in a learning space, however in the current form, they do not replace schools which pave the path to future opportunities,” said Zuhra Faizi, an Afghan American researcher and a Harvard postdoctoral fellow, as quoted by The National.

“The Taliban, like all past Afghan governments, will make modifications in the education system. However, they cannot continue to delay the reopening of schools.”

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