Some Afghan girls returned to primary schools with gender-segregated classes on Saturday, but older girls had no clarity about whether they would be able to resume their studies at the secondary school level.
Most schools in the capital, Kabul, have been closed since the Taliban captured the city a month ago.
Taliban officials say they will not return to radical policies – including banning girls from receiving education – when they last ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.
They have now promised that girls will be able to study – but only in different classes.
Nazif, a teacher at a private school in Kabul with mixed classes before the Taliban takeover, said he had made changes to reopen.
“Girls study in the morning and boys in the afternoon,” she said. “Male teachers teach boys and female teachers teach girls.”
However, there was uncertainty for many other girls in the school, which teaches at both the primary and secondary levels.
on Friday Education Ministry said boys’ secondary schools will reopen soon, but made no mention of girls.
“Their spirits are down and they await government announcements so they can resume studies,” said Hadith Rezai, who teaches the school’s female secondary level girl students.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the local Bakhtar news agency on Saturday that arrangements were being made to reopen girls’ secondary schools but did not give a date.
“Girls education is deciding a generation. Boys’ education can affect a family but girls’ education affects society,” said school principal Mohamedreza.
“We are monitoring this matter very closely so that girls can resume their education and complete their studies.”
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