UNICEF: Afghanistan Faces a Massive Education Crisis
Tawazon – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says Afghanistan’s education system is facing severe and deepening crisis, but there is still an opportunity to rebuild it.
In a statement posted today on X, UNICEF wrote: “Afghanistan’s education system is facing enormous challenges, but the opportunity for recovery remains. Lifting the ban on secondary education for girls and investing in primary education is essentail to safeguard progress and ensure continued learning for every girl and boy.”
Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, girls above grade six have been banned from attending school, a decision that has triggered widespread national and international condemnation. Global organizations including UNICEF, UNESCO and the United Nations, have repeatedly urged the authorities in Afghanistan to reopen girls’ schools and uphold the right to education for all children.
According to UNICEF figures, more than 2.2 million Afghan girls are currently denied access to formal education. The organization has warned that the continuation of these restrictions poses a grave threat not only to the future of Afghan girls but also to the country’s long-term social and economic stability.
Alongside its call for reopening girls’ schools, UNICEF urged donor governments and international organizations to increase investment n primary education, teacher training, school materials and basic infrastructure.
The agency emphasized that quality and inclusive education for every child is the only pathway to building a stable future for Afghanistan.
