The Global Partnership for Education is deeply troubled by events today in Afghanistan in which secondary school girls were not allowed to start their school year and return to education.

All children deserve to be in school and learn. Girls must not be shut out of school or face delays in pursuing their educations and their futures.

This decision puts millions of girls at risk of losing the opportunity to learn and build the skills they need and deserve to thrive and contribute to building the stable and prosperous future that the people of Afghanistan deserve.

All Afghan girls should return to school and commitments to enable this should be implemented without further delays.