In an official letter, the Taliban Ministry of Education ordered the closure of all educational centers and public and private schools for girls above sixth grade across the country.
The letter signed by Habibullah Agha, Taliban Acting Minister of Education on Thursday, December 22, states that the decision to suspend educational centers and schools for girls is taken by the Taliban cabinet.
Khattab Sahibzadah, the spokesperson of the Taliban’s Ministry of Education, confirmed the authenticity of this letter in a message to Kabul Now.
The Ministry of Education of the Taliban addressed this letter to the Heads of Education of others provinces of the country as well.
Meanwhile, in another official letter sent to state and private universities on December 20, the Taliban Ministry of Higher Education has indefinitely banned higher education for female students. Higher education is “suspended” for female students until further notice, the letter reads. This decision by the Taliban ignited global reactions.
The US, Germany, the UK, the UN and its agencies, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, EU, Human Rights Watch many more have condemned this decision.
