‘She asked me, will they kill you if they discover you?’: Afghan girls defy education ban at secret schools

Girls forced to stop attending school under Taliban are taking huge risks to keep studying - as are the teachers helping them

When inspectors arrive at the school gate, which is most weeks now, the older girls know the drill. They slip away from their classes, race to a musty room and huddle together for long minutes that sometimes stretch into hours, hoping they won't be discovered by the men who want them shut up at home.

The Taliban have banned secondary education for girls, the only gender-based bar on studying in the world.