Smart Home School
Since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, Afghan girls have faced devastating setbacks in acquiring education. The Taliban ban on girls' education beyond sixth grade has kept millions of girls out of classrooms, putting an entire generation's future at risk. Despite this upsetting reality, the quest for girls to acquire education has led to the emergence of alternative models such as home-based, underground, and online schools, providing Afghan girls with opportunities to continue learning, but as these models grow, the question remains: Can they ever transition into formal schooling systems?
The Taliban's ban has deprived at least 1.4 million Afghan girls of their right to secondary education, as reported by UNESCO in August 2023. This figure continues to grow as more girls reach the age of 12 and are barred from attending school. In total, nearly 2.5 million girls—about 80% of school-age girls in Afghanistan—are currently out of school due to the Taliban's policies.
This decision is based on their interpretation of Sharia law. Thus, Afghanistan now holds the tragic distinction of being the only country in the world that bans female secondary and higher education and shows no sign of reopening classrooms for girls.
Table: Girls Deprived of Education in Afghanistan (2021-2024)
Year | Girls Out of School (Millions) |
2021 | 1.1 |
2023 | 1.4 |
2024 | 2.5 |
Data sourced from UNESCO report (August 2024) and compiled information.
Despite the Taliban’s restrictions, Afghan women and educators are finding ways to keep education alive for girls. Home-based schools, like the Smart Home School and Daricha Schools, provide girls with covert learning opportunities, where volunteer teachers often work without pay. These schools face constant threat of exposure to Taliban authorities while also struggling with a lack of funding to keep their operations alive.
In addition to home-based schools, the Omid Online School offers Afghan girls a chance to continue their education digitally. Omid Online was founded by Zahra Hashimi, an Afghan educator and activist based in Vienna which now serves over 540 students and teaches necessary subjects like mathematics and biology. While providing much-needed educational access, online schools like Omid encounter technological and administrative difficulties, making consistent learning challenging as students often have unreliable internet access and must share devices with other family members. Moreover, cultural pressures such as early marriage and child labor further hinder girls' ability to continue their education
Yet, the success stories are inspiring. Some students from these alternative systems have even transitioned into teaching roles, as seen in Omid Online. This showcases the transformative power of these models and how they are keeping the dream of education alive for many Afghan girls.
Historically, home-based schools in Afghanistan were partially integrated into formal education systems, particularly in the early 2000s, with support from organizations like the IRC(International Rescue Committee). These schools achieved significant success, as a majority of the students were girls, therefore, highlighting the potential of these models to provide inclusive education.
However, under the current Taliban regime, such integration seems very unlikely as without formal recognition from the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Education, home-based and online schools cannot issue official certifications. Consequently, this leaves students struggling to prove their qualifications and many are cut off from opportunities in both higher education and employment, further restricting their future prospects.
In conclusion, Afghan women continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience in the face of oppression, by finding ways to keep education alive through underground and online schools. While these models have had a significant impact, their future remains uncertain and so international support and investment are vital in sustaining these alternative models as lifelines for Afghan girls, preserving their right to learn in the absence of formal schooling—or, at the very least, continue learning through alternative means until conditions improve.
References
Kirk, J., and Winthrop, R. (2006). Home-Based Schooling: Access to Quality Education for Afghan Girls. Journal of Education for International Development, 2(2).
Khorasani, A. (2024). Smart Home School: Afghan Women’s Covert Fight Against Taliban Ignorance. Published on July 27, 2024.
Butt, R. (2024). Taliban Have Deliberately Deprived 1.4 Million Afghan Girls of Schooling Through Bans, Says UNESCO. Associated Press, Updated August 15, 2024.
Hashimi, Z. (2023). Omid Online School: Providing Digital Education for Afghan Girls. Interview by Ali Ahmad, Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation (VIDC).
Education Policy and Data Center (EPDC). Afghanistan Home-Based Schools: Meeting EFA. Accessed from https://www.epdc.org/sites/default/files/documents/Afghanistan%20Home-Based%20Schools.pdf.
Your post captures the resilience of Afghan women and educators who are keeping the flame of education alive despite the Taliban’s oppressive policies. It’s heartbreaking that millions of girls are barred from school, but the emergence of alternative models like home-based and online schools reflects the power of determination in the face of adversity. What I find particularly inspiring is how some of these students, despite all odds, have transitioned into teaching roles, showing that education, even when underground or online, can be transformative.
However, your post does point out the challenges these models face—lack of funding, technological difficulties, and the absence of formal recognition, all of which threaten to limit the long-term impact. One unique angle to explore could…
The educational landscape for Afghan girls has dramatically deteriorated since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021. With over 1.4 million girls currently barred from secondary education, as reported by UNESCO, the implications for their future are profound. It’s heartening to see the emergence of alternative educational models like home-based and online schools, which provide essential learning opportunities despite the oppressive environment.
The historical context you mention is crucial; previous integration of home-based schools into the formal system highlights the potential for these models to be recognized again. However, the current regime's stance makes this integration seem unlikely. Moreover, the innovation and resilience demonstrated by Afghan educators, such as Zahra Hashimi with the Omid Online School, exemplify the creative…
Despite the Taliban’s strict enforcement of their version of Sharia law, the emergence of home-based and online schools highlights the incredible resilience of Afghan women. These educators, often volunteering without compensation and operating under the constant risk of being discovered by the authorities, are a testament to their unwavering commitment to education. Their determination is grounded in the belief that education is a fundamental right, one that cannot be easily extinguished, even by the most repressive forces.
The persistence of these alternative models of schooling demonstrates that, while formal structures may be dismantled or restricted, the desire for learning and the will to resist educational suppression remain strong, providing hope for the future. All children deserve to be educated regardless…
The article highlights the impact of alternative forms of education due to structural inequalities. The impact of the home and online schools can be explored further alongside the possibility of whether an international intervention will make informal schools into formal schools? And what type of intervention is required, can schools be accredited by non-state actors like international bodies? And if not, how does this change the impact of education received by students in terms of making opportunities accessible for them.
I appreciate the emphasis on the resilience of Afghan women and educators. However, I believe there's more to explore regarding the sustainability and scalability of these alternative schools. While the success of Smart Home School, Daricha Schools, and Omid Online School is inspiring, it's crucial to ask how long these models can continue without formal recognition or stable funding.
Moreover, the transition of these schools into formal schooling systems seems unlikely under the current regime. Has there been any discussion about potential international partnerships to provide certification that could bypass Taliban control? For example, could online schools like Omid collaborate with foreign universities or NGOs to provide recognized qualifications? This could be a game-changer for these students' futures.
Lastly, I…