Taliban bans female students from attending school beyond third grade

 The Taliban in Afghanistan has now forbidden girl students from attending school after the third grade, in yet another serious attack on women's rights.

Previously, young girls were permitted to attend school until the sixth grade. According to BBC Persian, the Taliban authorities have now advised schools and educational institutions across the country not to allow girls above the age of 10 to attend basic school.

The latest move comes 683 days after girls aged 11 and up were barred from attending schools in the country and 223 days after they were barred from enrolling in universities to get higher education.

According to the BBC, the Ministry of Education's officials have asked the principals of schools and educational institutions to ensure that "girls over 10 years old are not allowed to study in primary schools.”

According to reports, the officials of the Ministry of Good and Prohibition are also dividing girls based on their age and urging principals of girls' schools to return children who have completed the third grade.

A sixth-grade student in eastern Afghanistan told the BBC, "We were told that girls who are tall and over 10 years old are not allowed to enter the school.”

After the Taliban took over Afghanistan two years ago, it prohibited young girls from attending schools above the sixth grade. The crackdown came despite Taliban officials using soothing language in foreign discussions about women's education and work lives, emphasizing that the prohibition was "temporary." 

According to reports, women are suffering in Afghanistan under the Taliban government. Women have been denied access to basic medical facilities due to a shortage of female healthcare workers. Only women, according to the Taliban, can cure other women. They are not allowed to be in touch with male doctors. 

According to reports, since the Taliban's takeover, about 80% of women in the media have lost their employment.