A recently pulished article reports that many children in the southern provinces of Afghanistan have stopped attending school due to frequent attacks by the Taliban. Since the 2001 overthrow of the Taliban, schools have been built and there has been an increase in the number of girls who receive an education. However, the Minister of Education (MoE) told the Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), a division of the United Nations, that children and teachers fear attacks that have left some dead and others wounded. The MoE estimated that 300,000 children have been denied education as a result of the attacks. Girls, who until recently were banned from attending school, are particularly affected. The Taliban have consistently condemned education for females and families of school-age girls have received threats in recent months. A spokesperson for the Minister of Education reported to IRIN that up to 80% of the schools are shut down in some of the southern provinces of Afghanistan.
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Compiled from: “Afghanistan: Attacks Deprive 300,000 Students of Education”, Integrated Regional Information Networks, 22 September, 2008.