A new UNESCO count reveals that 2.4 million girls in Afghanistan are now shut out of secondary school, a figure that has grown by 200,000 in just one year. Without a policy reversal, the agency warns that number could swell to four million by 2030, deepening a crisis that has made Afghanistan the only nation on Earth to bar females from both secondary and higher education. Main Developments UNESCO's latest tally marks a steady erosion of educational access since the Taliban barred girls from secondary schools in March 2022, followed by a ban on women attending universities in December of that year. The restrictions came months after the militant group retook power as US and allied forces ended their two-decade occupation. Beyond the classroom, the Taliban administration has also prohibited women from teaching boys, a move the UN says stripped qualified staff from the system and left male students with untrained instructors. The agency projects a shortfall of more than 11,000 qualified female teachers by 2030, compounding the damage. Read also: Caracas and Tel Aviv Restore Consular Ties in Major Realignment At the primary level, over two million children remain out of class, and ninety percent of 10-year-olds cannot read a simple text. National literacy has fallen to 37 percent, reflecting the cumulative toll of these bans. Background The current crisis follows a pattern of escalating restrictions on women's rights since the Taliban's return to power. The bans on secondary schooling and university attendance are part of broader measures that have led the UN to accuse the country of “gender apartheid.” These educational bans sit atop a fragile system already struggling with overcrowding, poor equipment, and a lack of basic amenities. Nearly half of all schools lack water, sanitation, or heating, and natural disasters have forced about a thousand schools to close over the past five years. Why It Matters The fallout extends far beyond the classroom, weighing on Afghanistan's education system and its economy. With fewer educated women, the country faces a shrinking pool of skilled workers and teachers, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and dependency. International pressure, including from several Muslim-majority governments, has failed to move the Taliban, which dismisses the policy as an internal matter. The growing number of out-of-school girls threatens to entrench gender inequality for a generation, undermining any prospect of sustainable development. What's Next UNESCO's projection of four million affected girls by 2030 serves as a deadline for action, but no concrete steps have been announced by the Taliban to reverse the bans. The agency continues to call for lifting restrictions, yet the government shows no sign of yielding to global condemnation. With the teacher shortfall expected to worsen, the quality of education for boys will likely deteriorate further, adding urgency to international efforts to find a diplomatic breakthrough. Whether renewed pressure or internal economic strains will shift Taliban policy remains an open question.