Sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban is now discussing how to transform schools into religious seminaries in Afghanistan.

According to these sources, the Taliban members have told some foreign officials that girls can be educated in religious schools and the Taliban leader has no problem with this.

These sources said that Taliban officials have argued that there is no difference between a school and a religious seminary and that this group teaches professional and religious issues at these seminaries.

According to sources, the Taliban officials have asked the international community to financially support their religious seminaries.

This is while the representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Afghanistan, said in a recent Security Council meeting that evidence shows that more girls are studying in religious schools.

After the Security Council’s meeting, Otunbayeva told Afghanistan International during a press conference quoting the Taliban's Minister of Education that ten million children are studying in Taliban schools. She added that about five million other children are deprived of education.

Otunbayeva said on Thursday after the UN Security Council meeting that the Taliban are trying to bring more children into the religious education system because they believe that religious seminaries are more native to Afghanistan.