VOA教育报道2023--Afghan Girls Banned from Education after Sixth Grade

Afghan Girls Banned from Education after Sixth Grade

Bahara Rustam is 13 years old. She took her last class at Bibi Razia School in Kabul, Afghanistan, on December 11 knowing it was the end of her education. Under Afghan law, she is unlikely to ever step foot in a classroom again.

In September 2021, the country's ruling Taliban announced that females would be barred from education after sixth grade, or about age 13. The government said it was acting¹ in line with Islamic religious law.

The United States and NATO troops had withdrawn² from Afghanistan a month earlier, after 20 years of war.

In December 2022, the restrictive measure was expanded to include university education.

The international community has continued to condemn³ the Taliban for the actions. Countries have warned the Taliban that it its actions will bar it from gaining international recognition as a lawful⁴ government.

Last week, United Nations special diplomat⁵ for Afghanistan Roza Otunbayeva appeared before the UN Security Council. She said she worried that a generation of Afghan girls is falling behind with each day that passes.

An Afghan Education Ministry⁶ said last week that girls of all ages are permitted to study in religious schools called madrassas. They have traditionally been boys-only.

The UN is trying to confirm the ministry's statement. But Otunbayeva said it was unclear if that education system included wider study of non-religious subjects.

For now, Bahara is holding onto her education and looks over school books at home. "Graduating (from sixth grade) means we are going to seventh grade," she said. "But all of our classmates cried and we were very disappointed," she added.

There was no graduation ceremony for the girls at Bibi Razia School.

In another part of Kabul, 13-year old Setayesh Sahibzada wonders what the future holds for her. She is sad she cannot go to school anymore to follow her dreams.

"I can't stand on my own two feet," she said. "I wanted to be a teacher. But now I can't study, I can't go to school."

Researcher Muhammad Saleem Paigir warned that banning women and girls from education would be disastrous⁷ for Afghanistan. "We understand that illiterate⁸ people can never be free and prosperous," he said.

The Taliban have banned women from many public spaces and most jobs, all but keeping women inside their homes.

Words in This Story

graduate – v. to earn a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university

disappointed – adj. feeling sad, unhappy, or displeased⁹ because something was not as good as expected or because something you hoped for or expected did not happen

illiterate – adj. not knowing how to read or write

prosperous – adj. having success usually by making a lot of money

1 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

2 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

3 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

4 lawful   

adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的

参考例句：

• It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
• We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。

5 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

8 illiterate   

adj.文盲的；无知的；n.文盲

参考例句：

• There are still many illiterate people in our country.在我国还有许多文盲。
• I was an illiterate in the old society,but now I can read.我这个旧社会的文盲，今天也认字了。

9 displeased   

a.不快的

参考例句：

• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。
• He was displeased about the whole affair. 他对整个事情感到很不高兴。