Although a month has passed since the fall of the previous government, secondary schools (grade 7 and up) remain closed, causing concerns, a number of students told TOLOnews on Thursday.

Following the collapse of the former government, the new caretaker cabinet announced that secondary school classes would remain closed until the next notification. Currently primary and elementary schools are open (6th grade and below).

A number of students said they are worried about their future and want the caretaker cabinet to reopen the schools, saying that they did not go to school for months due to COVID-19 and now the schools are closed due to changes in the political landscape.

“The establishment of the new government caused us to not to go to school. Before this, COVID-19 prevented us from going to school, and now there is the new political transformation,” said Ahmad Bahadur, a student at a private school.

Parwiz Khalili, who was an adviser at the former education ministry, said that currently 70 percent of the nine million students are not going to school.

“From nine million students, 70 percent of them have been deprived of going to school due to political and social issues,” Khalili said.

A number of students voiced their concerns over the issue and urged the caretaker cabinet to take action to reopen the schools.

“We want the Taliban to provide education opportunities for us so that we can serve our country in the future,” said Aimal, a student.

Saeed Khosti, a member of the cultural commission of the caretaker cabinet, meanwhile, said secondary schools will resume their activities soon. “Work is underway and the classes above grade 7 will also reopen soon,” he said.

The caretaker cabinet had earlier announced that schools can open their elementary classes (first to sixth grade) and that there would be a notification about the resumption of classes above grade 7.