Thread by @afghan_witness

🧵One year on: Afghanistan’s education sector under the Taliban, a thread

Since the #Taliban’s return last August, the group has demonstrated determination to regulate, shape, and control access to #education in #Afghanistan…

The Taliban’s U-turn on girls’ secondary #schools in March attracted widespread condemnation.

The Ministry of #Education announced that the schools would remain closed until a policy was formulated in accordance with “Sharia and #Afghan” culture...

#OSINT | A video published by Aamaj News on March 23 shows girls arriving and gathering outside Zulaikha Female High School in #Kabul whilst Taliban men stood at the door, preventing them from entering:

#OSINT | At the end of May, it was reported on social media that some girls’ schools had started to reopen enforcing the #hijab decree.

On May 23, images circulated on Twitter showing girls on their way to school in #Balkh, fully covered:

Women have been able to attend higher education still, but are subject to a strict dress code and must attend #university on separate days to male students.

Female staff face similar restrictions. There is also added pressure on staff, as classes must now be taught twice.

#OSINT | On May 18, it was reported that female students were denied entrance to the #Kabul Education #University, also known as Shahid Rabbani Education University, for wearing colourful headscarves.

AW was able to verify and geolocate footage of the incident:

#OSINT | In March, it was reported that the #Taliban had covered – and later removed – a statue commonly referred to as the “mother’s statue” in front of the Faculty of Fine Arts at #Kabul University.

#OSINT | While girls’ high schools remain closed, there has been an apparent push by the Taliban to open madrasas across #Afghanistan.

AW has verified several reports of buildings being repurposed as religious schools:
afghanwitness.org/reports/severa…

Despite restrictions, there has been some hope – particularly when it comes to #girls’ schools.

Campaigners and girls have established new ways of #learning – such as ‘secret’ and online schools.

afghanwitness.org/reports/afghan…

Much more is covered in our report below, which provides an overview of #Afghanistan's #education sector under the #Taliban, complete with verifications and information from sources on the ground where possible⬇️

afghanwitness.org/reports/afghan…