The hardline leadership of the Taliban has decided against opening schools to girls beyond Grade 6.
The about-turn came as Afghanistan’s education ministry prepared for the start of the a new session.
A statement from the ministry had urged “all students” to attend school, AP reported.
On Tuesday, a Ministry of Education spokesman released a video congratulating all students on their return to class.
On Wednesday, a Ministry of Education notice said schools for girls would be closed until a plan was drawn up in accordance with the Taliban's interpretation of Sharia and Afghan culture, government news agency Bakhtar News said.
“We inform all girls' high schools and those schools that are having female students above Class 6 that they are off until the next order,” the notice read.
The decision is certain to anger the international community that has been urging Taliban leaders to open schools and give women their rights to public spaces.
The UN and the US condemned the reported closures on Wednesday.
“The UN in Afghanistan deplores today's reported announcement by the Taliban that they are further extending their indefinite ban on female students above the sixth grade being permitted to return school,” the UN Mission to Afghanistan said.
Ian McCary, US chargé d’affaires for Afghanistan, said in a tweet that he was deeply troubled by the reports.
“This is very disappointing and contradicts many Taliban assurances and statements,” he said.
The decision appeared to be a concession to the rural and tribal power base of the Taliban movement that is reluctant to send daughters to school.
Teachers and students from three secondary schools around the capital, Kabul, said girls had returned in excitement to campuses on Wednesday morning but were ordered to go home.
They said many pupils left in tears, Reuters reported.
Girls have been banned from school beyond Grade 6 in much of the country since the Taliban returned to power in August.
While universities were allowed to open, Taliban edicts on education have been erratic.
A handful of provinces continued to provide education to all, but most provinces closed educational institutions for girls and women.
Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, herself shot by the Taliban gunmen in retaliation for her work on girls education, said the Taliban are "afraid".
"I had one hope for today: that Afghan girls walking to school would not be sent back home. But the Taliban did not keep their promise. They will keep finding excuses to stop girls from learning – because they are afraid of educated girls and empowered women," she wrote on Twitter.
In Kabul, private schools and universities have operated without interruption.
The Taliban administration fears enrolment of girls beyond Grade 6 could erode their base, Waheedullah Hashmi, external relations and donor representative with the Taliban-led administration, told AP.
“The leadership hasn’t decided when or how they will allow girls to return to school,” Mr Hashmi said, accepting that while urban centres are mostly supportive of girls' education, much of rural Afghanistan is opposed, particularly in tribal Pashtun regions.
Most Taliban are ethnic Pashtuns.
“In some rural areas, a brother will disown a brother in the city if he finds out that he is letting his daughters go to school,” said Mr Hashimi, who said the Taliban leadership is trying to decide how to open education for girls beyond Grade 6 across the country.
In the Taliban's sweep through the country last year, other ethnic groups such as Uzbeks and Tajiks in the north of Afghanistan either joined with the Taliban or chose not to oppose them.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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6.30pm: Madjani Stakes Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
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Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15
Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered
UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered
Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered
Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered
Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered
Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered
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Five ways to get fit like Craig David (we tried for seven but ran out of time)
Start the week as you mean to go on. So get your training on strong on a Monday.
Train hard, but don’t take it all so seriously that it gets to the point where you’re not having fun and enjoying your friends and your family and going out for nice meals and doing that stuff.
Think about what you’re training or eating a certain way for — don’t, for example, get a six-pack to impress somebody else or lose weight to conform to society’s norms. It’s all nonsense.
Get your priorities right.
And last but not least, you should always, always chill on Sundays.
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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Racecard
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Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
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