United By Education, Divided By Curtains: How University Classes Look Like in New Afghanistan

University classes began in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, but with a “curtain of separation”. Photos posted by local news channels on Twitter showed students attending a lecture with a curtain separating the men and women inside a classroom.

Aamaj News and Talib Times both posted photos, announcing that university studies have resumed in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA). The English-language official account of IEA, Talib Times, tweeted, “Taliban have made a rule and follow on Universiyu now Separate seating arrangements for male and female students at the university The Ministry of Higher Education had directed that separate seating arrangements be made for both.” (sic)

Aamaj News, on the other hand, tweeted, “In the picture: University courses began with the curtain of separation.” (translated from Persian by Google)

This is the latest education policy outlined by the Taliban through their diktats. The Taliban have stressed time and again that they do not have an issue with women’s education. They have, however, said women attending universities must wear the hijab. They should wear an abaya robe and niqab covering most of the face.

In a lengthy document issued by the Taliban’s education authority, they also ordered that female students should only be taught by other women, but if that was not possible then “old men of good character” could fill in.

The decree applies to private colleges and universities, which have mushroomed since the Taliban’s first rule ended in 2001. During that period, girls and women were mostly excluded from education because of rules regarding same-sex classrooms and the insistence they had to be accompanied by a male relative whenever they left the house. There was no order for women to wear the all-enveloping burqa in the new regulations issued late on Saturday, but the niqab effectively covers most of the face anyway, leaving just the eyes exposed. In recent years burqas and niqabs have largely vanished from the streets of Kabul, but are seen more frequently in smaller cities and towns.

While women now have to study separately, they must also end their lesson five minutes earlier than men to stop them from mingling outside. They must then stay in waiting rooms until their male counterparts have left the building, according to the decree issued by the Taliban higher education ministry.

Over the past 20 years, since the Taliban were last in power, university admission rates have risen dramatically, particularly among women. Before the Taliban returned in a lightning military campaign, entering the capital Kabul last month, women studied alongside men and attended seminars with male professors. But a spate of deadly attacks on education centres in recent years sparked panic. The Taliban denied being behind the attacks, some of which were claimed by the local chapter of the Islamic State group.

(With agency inputs)

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