蜜芽传媒

Teenage girls have not been allowed to go to school since the Taliban took over Afghanistan last August, and schools were set to welcome girls back after months of restrictions since the Taliban seized power in August. But the Taliban have now reversed a decision to allow Afghan girls to return to high schools at the last minute, saying a decision is still to be made on the uniforms they must wear.

The 蜜芽传媒 correspondent in Kabul Sekunder Kermani says this was a "bizarre and unexpected decision" that happened after schools had opened, and that teachers and girls were already at school when the announcement was made, and that girls there burst into tears when they were told the news. He thinks this is a sign of the controversy around education for girls amongst the more hardline Taliban elements, despite widespread support in Afghan society for girls to attend school.

Photo: Girls leave their school following order of closure just hours after reopening in Kabul on March 23, 2022 Credit: Getty Images