KABUL (SW) – The Taliban have pledged to resume studies in universities across the country in a week’s time.
Acting Minister of Higher Education, Abdul Baqi Haqqani announced at a news conference in Kabul on Sunday that efforts were underway to resume studies. Haqqani said that studies are underway on how to start public universities, and that public university courses are scheduled to begin in a week.
The head of the Ministry of Higher Education added that a separate education plan has been launched and that girls and boys will now study in separate classes. According to him, the mixed education system for girls and boys contradicts Islamic and national values.
“Meetings are underway to start public universities, and when budget problems and other issues are resolved, the time for the start of universities will be announced,” said Abdul Baqi Haqqani. Preparations for the start of universities will not take more than a week.”
Meanwhile, the private universities have resumed studies with the imposition of new restrictions on. A number of these universities have introduced separate curriculum for girls and boys, and a number have changed classmates.
The imposition of these restrictions has caused dissatisfaction among some private university students. Students say that after the new decision of the Ministry of Higher Education, the number of students has decreased significantly and professors are not attending classes as before.
“On Monday, when we went to university, very few people came,” said Fatema Samadi, a student at a private university. “There were three of us in the class. No one had the spirit to study to come to university. Teachers do not have the spirit to teach, and students do not have the spirit to study”, she said.
Marwa Rahmani, another student at a private university, said that in the two weeks that the universities have been operating, the attendance of students has been very low. “No one was willing to go to class in the first week, and this second week, which we started yesterday, when I went to university myself, the classes were separated. There were fewer students and not enough professors.”
However, the head of the Ministry of Higher Education has stated that the purpose of such projects is to create a better educational environment for all students.
ENDS
