Taliban Will Allow Afghan Girls To Take High School Graduation Exams

The ruling Taliban will allow girls in Afghanistan to take their high school graduation exams, even though they have not seen the inside of a classroom since the fundamentalist Islamist group took over the country more than a year ago. The exams will take place today, Wednesday, in 31 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, where the schools’ winter break is scheduled to begin in late December, The Associated Press first reported, citing documents from the Taliban Education Ministry. “This is ridiculous,” 18-year-old Kabul resident Najela, 18, told the AP. “We spent a whole year under tension and stress and haven’t read a single page of our textbooks.” The girls reportedly will have one day to take exams in 14 subjects. If they fail, they are said to be able to try again in mid-March, according to the report. Women with a high school diploma so far have been able to study in Iran’s universities. In addition to banning girls and women from secondary school, the Taliban are barring women from entering public spaces including parks, gyms, and entertainment venues, requiring them to wear burqas and face coverings and requiring a male escort in public. Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee has warned the Taliban that Afghanistan will not be permitted to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris unless it allows women and girls safe access to sports. The Taliban took over and announced the formation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan at the end of August 2021 when the last US and other foreign troops left the country.