Afghan schoolgirls are finishing sixth grade in tears. Under Taliban rule, their education is over

By MOHAMMAD HABIB RAHMANI
Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan schoolgirls are weeping as they finish sixth grade, knowing their education is over. Under Taliban rule, they are unlikely to ever step foot in a classroom again. In September 2021, a month after U.S. and NATO troops withdrew from Afghanistan following two decades of war, the Taliban announced that girls were barred from school beyond sixth grade. Some, like 13-year-old Bahara Rustam, pore over textbooks at home. Others, like Setayesh Sahibzada, despair about what their future holds with education off limits. The Taliban have also barred women from many public spaces and most jobs, all but confining women to their homes.