The Taliban ban on girls' education has taken a psychological and financial toll on Afghan teachers
KABUL: Najiba's life as an educator came to a halt when the Taliban banned girls' education nearly three years ago, a controversial policy that forced many Afghan teachers out of the classroom.
When secondary schools for girls were suspended in September 2021 – a month after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan – it resulted in nearly 1.1 million girls being denied access to formal education and many female teachers losing their jobs, as the new policies only allowed them to. Teaching in a girls' primary school.
“We feared it but we didn't know it would happen so soon. The hardest thing was knowing I couldn't teach anymore,” Najiba, an English teacher in Kabul, told Arab News.
“The change was so sudden and so fast that it was difficult for me to cope. I developed very severe levels of stress and depression due to the loss of my job and profession.
For the 37-year-old, who teaches at a local high school, the consequences on her mental health were “irreversible” not only for her, but also for her family, as she was forced to stay at home most of the time. .
“I feel I am becoming illiterate by not studying. I miss my students and colleagues every day and every moment. I feel lonely most of the time at home,” she said.
When the policy took effect, all female middle and high school teachers were reassigned to primary schools “where there was a shortage of teachers,” an official in Afghanistan's education ministry told Arab News, declining to be named. Right to speak to the press.
“Furthermore, some of them were assigned to mixed schools, where boys and girls study in different shifts, to teach in the girls' shift. The rest are staying at home,' said the official.
“The Ministry has a plan to teach only female teachers in girls' schools and transfer male teachers to boys' schools. It has been successfully implemented in Kabul and other provinces. “
A year after taking over, the Taliban eliminated 14,000 government jobs held by women, most of them teaching positions, according to a report by the US government's Afghanistan Reconstruction Oversight Authority, known as SIGAR.
But despite growing uncertainty over the future of girls' education in Afghanistan, Najiba remains hopeful.
“I really hope and pray that something good happens and the girls' school reopens so we can go back to the classroom and school. Nothing else would make us happy and help us get back to normal,” she said.
For Khaperai, who teaches at a secondary school in Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province, the Taliban's policies were affecting his mental health and financial situation.
The 42-year-old tried to no avail to transfer to a primary school as there were no vacancies in her area.
“And I cannot leave my family. The change in my situation has not only affected me psychologically but also posed financial challenges,” she told Arab News, adding that her husband has also lost his job due to the ongoing financial crisis.
“I was helping my children's education with my salary, but the salary has decreased in the last few months. We only receive 5,000 Afghani ($70) in our account now. It is not enough to support me and my children. I don't know what to do.”
As women were also banned from many workplaces under the Taliban, Khaperai found herself with no other choice.
“I can't do anything else. Women have very few work opportunities under the Taliban, making it almost impossible for female heads of households to support their families,” she said.
“I can only hope for a positive change. I can't do anything else. No one seems to listen or care about us. We are left at God's mercy.”
