The end of a dream and the start of forced isolation in Afghanistan

KABUL (Khaama Press): Six years ago, with small hands and a childlike curiosity, she picked up a pen and a book to learn the alphabet of life. This little girl, whose teachers praised her talent, has returned home after finishing her sixth-grade year, with no hope of going to school anymore, as the Taliban regime does not allow education for girls beyond the sixth grade.
With the end of the school year, sixth-grade students have left school with disappointment and returned home. These students say they have no hope of returning to school.
In spring, a recently graduated sixth-grade student in Kabul, named Bahar, expressed, “I used to dream of becoming a doctor in the future to serve my people, but now I am more worried about my own future.”
Although she is still just a young child, according to the rules of the Taliban administration, she must stay at home and can’t go outside without a male guardian. She must wear clothing approved by the Taliban regime, and ultimately, she must bid farewell to her dream of continuing her education, joining the thousands of other girls disappearing into absolute isolation.
Bahar says that educational restrictions have prevented her from pursuing her studies, and she alone cannot solve the puzzle of why she should be deprived of going to school.
She is a top student in her school, and her teachers say, “Bahar is a talented, creative, and deserving girl, but we are saddened to witness these talents heading towards isolation today. We hope the Taliban administration reconsiders its decisions in this regard as soon as possible.”
The Taliban regime in Afghanistan, upon returning to power in August 2021, closed schools for girls above the sixth grade, and later in December 2022, they prohibited them from attending universities and other educational institutions as well.