Drive highlights plight of high school girls kept from Kankor exam

KABUL (TOLOnews): A social media campaign has been launched under the name “Let Afghan Girls Learn.” The organizer of the event said that its goal is to immediately open the gates of secondary and high schools for girls.
“This is a non-political campaign. The goal is to invite different guests for a week, both Afghans and foreigners, knowledgeable professors and any people who will discuss the opening of schools,” said Obaidullah Bahir, host of the campaign.
Some students said that due to the closing of schools for girls they have lost access to the Kankor exam and now their future is unknown. They said this year “thousands of girls were prevented from taking the Kankor Exam.” These students asked the Islamic Emirate to open secondary schools for girls so they can gain entrance for the upcoming Kankor exam.
Nazanin is a 12th grade student and due to the closing of the schools for girls she could not participate in the Kankor exam, and she said that all her dreams to continue her education have turned into despair.
“We just want the school to be opened, we are worried about our future, we want the schools to be opened so that we can study,” said Nazanin, a student.
“The 11th grader who went to 12th is without a future, the 12th grader who is studying to prepare for Kankor is also unlucky,” said Lima, a student.
Some female students who are not allowed to go to school say they face depression.
“I request the Islamic Emirate to reopen the schools for girls as soon as possible because we want to be educated and to study and make our country progress,” said Arezo, a student. However, the officials of the Ministry of Education did not provide a comment on the issue after repeated requests.
Meanwhile, some religious clerics said that depriving girls of school is against Islamic law.
“No one can say that from Islam, pertaining to girls, especially in Afghanistan–to the extent that we are in Afghanistan because we need our sisters to study–it is forbidden for them to go to school. I think that this is a strategic issue,” said Rahmatullah Norzai, professor of religious scholars.
At the same time, as girls’ schools are closed, the presence of women in higher education institutions and entrance exams have also decreased.