Malala Yousafzai goes back to school in Birmingham after brutal attack in Pakistan

Campaigner for girls' education says she is looking forward to learning ancient Greek

Malala began her first day at Edgbaston High School in Birmingham yesterday (PA)

Malala Yousafzai, the girl who was shot in the head by extremists in Pakistan after campaigning for education for girls, has returned to school after being treated for her injuries in the UK.

The 15-year-old began her first day at Edgbaston High School in Birmingham yesterday - the city's oldest independent school for girls - where she will study the full curriculum before selecting her GCSE options next year.

She already speaks fluent English and her return to education speaks volumes for the cause that left her in a life-threatening condition last October when Taliban militants shot her on her school bus for writing a blog in support of girls' schooling.

After the attack Malala was flown to the UK, and following a series of gruelling operations at the Birmingham Queen Elizabeth Hospital, she was allowed to return home last month.

In a statement Malala said she was “excited” to have “achieved my dream of going back to school,” and said that among other subjects she was looking forward to learning about the Greek gods and taking up ancient Greek.

“I want all girls in the world to have this basic opportunity. I miss my classmates from Pakistan very much but I am looking forward to meeting my teachers and making new friends here in Birmingham,” she said.