Taliban allow govt universities to reopen in gender-segregated shifts

Kabul, Feb 2 (EFE).- Government universities in Afghanistan reopened Wednesday for both male and female students for the first time since the Taliban seized power in August last year.

The Taliban allowed female students to return to their classes but ordered separate shifts for their male counterparts.

Higher education ministry spokesperson Ahmad Taqi told EFE that the universities would function based on the Taliban policy already sent to the varsities.

“We received an official letter for restarting classes for both male and female students but with gender segregation,” Nangarhar university lecturer Ismael Sadet told EFE.

All the universities in warmer regions opened Wednesday, while those in colder areas, like Kabul, would restart their classes from Feb.26.

The letters sent to universities from the higher education department asked the administrations to stagger classroom hours to divide the genders.

As such, male students will attend universities in the mornings and females in the afternoon.

Afghan public and private universities were coed before the Taliban took over, with males and females studying together.

However, girls and boys in elementary and high schools were taught separately.

Education of girls and women has been one of the conditions for the international recognition of the Taliban government.

During its previous rule from 1996 to 2001, the Islamist militia did not allow girls to attend schools and confined women to their homes.

Since returning to power on Aug.15, 2021, Taliban officials have pledged that all girls would be allowed to attend classes classroom in March when the school new year begins in the country. EFE

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