✍️ By: Hamia Naderi
Until 1920, girls in Afghanistan had no access to formal education. During King Amanullah Khan’s reign, women’s education became a priority, and the first girls’ primary school, Esmet (Purity), was established in Kabul with about 40 students, each receiving a stipend from the king.
In 1922, the school moved to Bustan Sara in Zarnegar Park and was renamed Mostowrat School, with enrollment soon rising to 200 students, some later sent to Turkey, Germany, and France for further study.
Asma Rasmiya Tarzi served as principal, assisted by Queen Soraya and her sister, along with teachers from Turkey, India, and Germany. By 1928, Mostowrat had 800 students and taught up to the 12th grade, becoming Afghanistan’s largest girls’ school despite fierce opposition from clerics, who at one point forced its closure.
At the 1923 Loya Jirga, Amanullah defended girls’ education, insisting it was compatible with Islam and urging clerics to adopt a rational view.
In 1942, the school was renamed Malalai High School, honoring the heroine of Maiwand. Among its notable alumnae are Anahita Ratebzad, Ruqia Habib Abubakr, and Kubra Noorzai.
Today, Malalai High School remains one of Afghanistan’s most prominent schools for girls, offering the national curriculum along with advanced French instruction — a symbol of over a century of progress in girls’ education.
