UN Secretary-General urges Taliban officials to open schools for all students

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The UN Secretary-General has called on Taliban officials to open schools immediately for all students.

The UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said in a statement on Saturday that he deeply regretted the Taliban's move that girls’ education from the sixth grade has been suspended until further notice.

Guterres added: " The start of the new school year has been anticipated by all students, girls and boys, and parents and families."

He further explained: " The de facto authorities’ failure to reopen schools for girls above the sixth grade, despite repeated commitments, is a profound disappointment and deeply damaging for Afghanistan."

The UN Secretary-General continued: "The denial of education not only violates the equal rights of women and girls to education, it also jeopardizes the country’s future in view of the tremendous contributions by Afghan women and girls."

"I urge the Taliban de facto authorities to open schools for all students without any further delay" concluded he.

According to previous commitments and official announcements of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, all girls' schools in Afghanistan were to reopen on Wednesday last week.

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