The Taliban’s Minister of Higher Education Abdul Baqi Haqqani announces the end of co-education in Afghanistan. He also said that public universities will start soon.
Haqqani at a news conference on Sunday (September 12th) stated that the plan to “end the mixed-sex education” had been submitted to the Ministry of Higher Education by universities’ academic councils. According to him, the mixed education of girls and boys is at odds with the “Islamic principles” and “national values” of Afghanistan.
Abdul Baqi Haqqani said that academic councils have taken the decision to end the “mixed-gender education in Afghanistan”.
The Taliban’s Minister of Higher Education says that three proposals have been made to separate male and female students.
According to him, male and female students should study in separate buildings. If facilities are not available, students must attend their classes at separate times. He explained that if these two were not possible or the number of female students was small, their classes should be separated.
Haqqani said efforts are being made to have female instructors teach female students; But if this was not possible, male professors can also teach female students who observe the Islamic hijab and are “behind the curtains”.
The Taliban’s acting Minister for Higher Education of Afghanistan also said he was paying special attention to the translation, scientific research, and the creation of new academic disciplines.
Private universities have started operating. Some institutions have divided the classes by drawing a curtain, but others have told the male and female students to attend the classes at different times. Haqqani says the budget and facilities of these institutions are not dependent on the government and that is why they have been allowed to start their work.
According to him, public universities are founded by the government, and after preparing the budget and talking to the universities, the start date will be announced within a week.
The Taliban government’s Minister of Higher Education said that special attention would be paid to all “Mujahideen” who dropped out of school during the “occupation”.
It was also said at the press conference of the Ministry of Higher Education that cheating in the Kankor Examination (entrance test) would be prevented.
