Taliban's Education Policies: A Damaging Barrier for All in Afghanistan

The Taliban-appointed Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, acknowledged that the continued ban on women's education is the main reason for the public's distance from the Taliban. Speaking at a graduation ceremony, he emphasized the importance of reopening schools for girls beyond grade 6, stating that a society without knowledge is "dark." The Taliban-appointed Acting Minister of Education, Habibullah Agha, also criticized the poor quality of education in the country's religious schools and called for improvement.