Rosy-cheeked Afghan children including girls wearing white hijabs were seen arriving at their primary schools and actively attending classes in Kabul on Monday, two weeks after the Taliban's stunning takeover of the country.

There remains massive concern globally about the Taliban's brutal human rights record — and tens of thousands of Afghans are still trying to flee the country as the group settles into power.

Just days after being at the helm, it remains unclear if there is any official education policy or whether talks with schools have been held by the Taliban.

The Taliban's acting higher education minister has said Afghan women will be allowed to study at university, but there would be a ban on mixed classes under their rule.

Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen in an interview earlier this month also offered assurances on the topic. Women “can get education from primary to higher education — that means university”, he said.

Still, reports obtained by Dawn.com through Kabul-based sources suggested only scattered private schools were functioning, while most girls' schools remained closed amid a climate of uncertainty.

Header image: Students gesture as they leave after attending their government middle school in Kabul on Monday. — AFP