SIXTH form girls at a Teignbridge school have taken part in an ‘eye-opening’ project connecting them with girls their own age in Afghanistan.

The Year 12 students from Teign School were given a chance to connect with girls whose educational opportunities are restricted.

The Afghan Girls Project brought the Kingsteignton students together with girls in Afghanistan for four one-hour online meetings, giving them the opportunity to learn about each other’s lives, experiences and aspirations.

Alicia Beer, who took part, said: ‘I decided to take part in the Afghan Girls project because I had read in the news about the exclusion of women and girls from education, health services, work, and so much more.

‘When the opportunity was presented to me, I felt that it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn first-hand about the lives of females in Afghanistan and understand how they drastically differ to my own.

‘It was incredibly eye-opening and enriching.

‘There were moments where I felt upset and frustrated about what they face, but also moments of inspiration seeing how brave and determined they are to keep learning despite the many setbacks.

‘I learnt just how precious education is, and that it is not something to be taken for granted.

‘It also taught me how much resilience people can have even when things seem impossible.’

The girls had a direct insight into the lives of girls their own age in Afghanistan through the international project which is designed to build connections between young women across two very different educational experiences.

It was delivered in partnership with the British Council and Victory Afghanistan, an American non-profit organisation which provides girls and women in Afghanistan with free access to an online educational pathway, beginning with English education and progressing to mentoring and wider opportunities.

Since 2021, girls in Afghanistan are barred from attending school past primary school age since 2021.

Women have been banned from universities and medical training programs since late 2022.

Some organisations maintain underground or community-based literacy, skills programs to help keep learning pathways open.

Across the four sessions, students got to know one another, discussed education and aspirations, where they live and gender stereotypes.

For the Teign students, the project provided an opportunity to move beyond headlines and gain a more personal understanding of the experiences of girls living in Afghanistan, while also reflecting on their own education and opportunities.

The project has given Teign students the opportunity to develop their understanding of another culture and educational system, while building meaningful connections with young women thousands of miles away.

Lucie Wagner, Head of School at Teign School, said:

‘It has been wonderful to see our students engage so thoughtfully with the Afghan Girls Project, listening to the experiences of the girls they met and reflecting on their own opportunities and education.

‘The conversations have encouraged them to think about the value of education and the importance of understanding perspectives that may be very different from their own.’

Matthew Shanks, CEO of Education South West, said: ‘Hearing directly from girls of a similar age in Afghanistan has clearly had a lasting impact on our students and encouraged them to appreciate the opportunities they have while thinking about the experiences of others.’