Girl shot by Taliban back in school

BIRMINGHAM, England, March 19 (UPI) -- Malala Yousufzai, the teenage Pakistani education activist shot in the head by a Taliban gunman, returned to school in England Tuesday.

"I am excited that today I have achieved my dream of going back to school. I want all girls in the world to have this basic opportunity," she said.

"I miss my classmates from Pakistan very much but I am looking forward to meeting my teachers and making new friends here in Birmingham."

Sky News reported the 15-year-old is enrolled at Edgbaston High School for Girls as a ninth-year student.

The Press Trust of India reported the school asked in a statement that the media "allow her to attend school without intrusion and to respect the privacy of other pupils and parents."

Malala has been in England since she was flown there for medical treatment after being wounded on a school bus in northwestern Pakistan last October.

The Taliban went after her because she has been campaigning for the rights of girls to receive an education.

The Sun reported it's possible Malala, who has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, will be granted permanent residence in the United Kingdom after her father obtained a job with the Pakistani Consulate.