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FOURTEEN Afghan girls gather every day in the basement of a building in Kabul to continue their studies. Their teacher is a senior student who teaches them mathematics.
The school is hidden from the outside world – the door and windows are shut so that nobody can see or hear the students. A whiteboard is placed in the corner of the room, where Nooria (name changed) is teaching her students about logarithms.
After the Taliban overthrew Ashraf Ghani’s government and captured the capital, Kabul, in late August, they re-imposed restrictions on girls’ education. In some cities, girls are not allowed to attend schools after sixth grade, and in some areas, older girls are not allowed to sit with male students. The measures are not only arbitrary but they are in stark contrast to the Taliban’s initial statements that they would respect fundamental human rights.
The Taliban first ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 with an iron fist, barring women from work and imposing restrictions on their mobility. Girls were not allowed to go to school and the Taliban fighters flogged women if they broke the strict Sharia laws imposed by the group.
There have been several protests by women against the new Taliban regime across the country since they took charge of the government. Women in Afghanistan are persistent in their demands for the right to education, employment and assembly, which have so far been denied by the group.
Running the “secret school” under these circumstances is not an easy task, but many parents are determined to educate their daughters and are ready to take risks.
The students of this school take different routes to join their classes at different times during the day so they are not noticed by the authorities. There are no desks and chairs in the classroom; girls sit in a circle on the floor. Deutsche Welle spoke to some of the girls, but for security reasons, their identities have been concealed.
Saleha (name changed), a 12th grade student, said that after a two-month school closure she had no other choice but to join the underground school. “We didn’t accept the restrictions; therefore, with the help of a teacher, we started this secret school. We want to continue with our studies,” she said over the phone.
Nooria, who teaches at the underground school, was a student of computer science at the University of Kabul prior to the Taliban takeover of the capital. She confessed that she had wanted to become a computer programmer, but her dream has been shattered now. “It feels like I have a body, but I am not alive,” she said, adding that she hopes that the ‘dark days’ will be over soon.
When the United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001 and toppled the Taliban regime, girls’ education was almost non-existent in the country. By 2020, millions of girls had attended school and tens of thousands of women went to university for their higher education.
The United Nations has urged the Taliban to ensure that girls continue to receive education in Afghanistan. But the Taliban don’t appear to be listening, and now the risks associated with girls’ education are high.
“If the Taliban find out about our ‘secret school’, they will punish us. But despite this risk, we will not quit,” Saleha said.
Shamsia (name changed), a ninth grade student at the underground school, admits there are risks but said she doesn’t want to lose her nine years of education. “Yes, I am scared. I try my best to be as secretive about my education as possible,” she admitted.
Students at this school pay a small fee to their teacher, but the financial situation of most families in Afghanistan means that even a small sum is a huge burden on them. For Nooria, however, money is secondary to her desire to provide girls with education. She said there are many families in Afghanistan who live in extreme poverty but are still committed to educating girls. “I don’t take money from poor families. I am doing a service,” she said.
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