Afghan students are back to schools under the Taliban regime and say they feel "worried and hopeless" about their futures. Although the Taliban leaders have made promises not to repeat the brutal practices they used when they were in power between 1996 and 2001, for many Afghans, words are not enough reassurance. "I am hoping that the Islamic Emirate (Taliban government) will uphold its promises and do as they say so that students can continue with their studies," says Sadia Sherifian, an Afghan schoolteacher in Kabul. She also points out, "there has been a lot of abuse of women during the Taliban's previous rule. That's why girls feel unsafe going to school". According to Sherifian, there were around 45 to 50 pupils in the classrooms before the Taliban took over. Now there are only around 15 students in class. "We arrive at school in danger, worrying about our future," one student told Euronews. Schoolteachers in Afghanistan are also mostly women, so teachers worry that segregating boys and girls could be difficult without many male teachers. One university lecturer said women make up 48.5 percent of the workforce in the country. Not allowing women to work, as many fear could be the case, will have an impact not only socially but also economically. — Euronews
