King Amanullah, who was progressive and democratic, also oversaw the opening of the first girls school, Masturat, in 1921. Masturat was closed from 1928 to 1932, then reopened in 1932 through the efforts of the new King Nadir Shah and became a girls secondary school in 1939, led by a French teacher. Seven hours a week of French was taught from the primary year upwards. In 1942, the school moved to a new building and took the name of Lycée Malalai, from the name of a famous Afghan woman who fought in the resistance against the invading English in 1880 during the Second Anglo-Afghan War.[3][4][5]
In 2014 a suicide bomber attacked a cultural center at Esteqlal High School, killing a German national and injuring 16.[6] The explosion occurred during the performance of a play called 'Heartbeat: Silence After the Explosion', which was a condemnation of suicide attacks. One of the injured was musician Ahmad Naser Sarmast.[7]
Notable alumni
Many internationally renowned Afghan personalities and figures have received part of their education or have obtained their baccalaureate in Lycée Esteqlal.