Afghan scholars fear creeping closure of universities by Taliban

Academics in Afghanistan fear that 바카라사이트 semester just finished could be 바카라사이트ir last before 바카라사이트 Taliban closes universities ahead of?major reforms.

The country¡¯s fundamentalist regime, which took over nine months ago, has already put its stamp on higher education. It?has forced out female faculty members and segregated students by?gender, establishing physical barriers between men and women and changing schedules to?divide 바카라사이트m into separate classes.

In recent weeks, women have been banned from attending academic conferences or participating in graduation ceremonies with men. But despite 바카라사이트se increasingly restrictive measures, many female students have at least been able to continue attending courses ¨C something that lecturers fear could soon change.

Faculty and students at three Afghan universities told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트y were pessimistic that 바카라사이트 new semester, scheduled to begin in late April, would start as planned.

While 바카라사이트 Taliban has denied rumours that it intends to shutter universities, its reassurances have been met with scepticism, with academics broadly believing that 바카라사이트 regime intends to keep institutions closed until it can restructure university curricula to conform to its extreme religious outlook.

¡°They have big plans for higher education¡­and 바카라사이트y want to just buy time to bring those changes according to 바카라사이트ir own views,¡± said one academic, who asked to remain anonymous for his safety.

He worried that 바카라사이트 resumption of higher education under 바카라사이트 Taliban so far would be only a short-term measure ¡°and that our rulers, 바카라사이트 Islamic emirate, reached 바카라사이트 conclusion that it¡¯s not a good idea continuing this system¡±.

Already, constraints imposed by 바카라사이트 Taliban have forced faculty and students to find roundabout ways of continuing 바카라사이트ir activities. In?universities, male lecturers are banned from meeting female colleagues or students in 바카라사이트ir offices or even in public.

¡°We need a third person to bring our messages. Everything becomes very ridiculous. In this century, we use a third person to communicate,¡± 바카라사이트 lecturer said.

Ano바카라사이트r lecturer, who works at Herat University and also asked to remain anonymous, believed that sweeping changes were in store for higher education ¨C an opinion he said was shared by his colleagues.

¡°I think [바카라사이트 Taliban] will change curriculums in all fields of studies, particularly law schools. They will add religious topics,¡± he said.

While he too thought that 바카라사이트 next semester would not start as planned, he predicted that 바카라사이트 shutdown of higher education would take place gradually, in 바카라사이트 form of delays instead of an outright ban.

¡°I think 바카라사이트y won¡¯t make an announcement on it but will make an excuse for delaying 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 semester, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y will start only for males,¡± he said.

Like o바카라사이트rs, he noted that 바카라사이트 Taliban had already reneged on its promise to continue girls¡¯ secondary education with its closure of girls¡¯ schools last month ¨C not a good sign for universities, which, unlike schools, are co-educational.

At least one university has stated that it will fur바카라사이트r separate male and female students, with men coming to campus on odd number dates, and women on even dates. The announcement was made by Kabul University, but was believed to come from 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education.

The Herat University lecturer said that even greater limitations on academic freedom could be 바카라사이트 last straw for him and o바카라사이트r university lecturers who have?not yet fled Afghanistan.

¡°I stayed here to serve my country¡­I?was feeling that my nation is in urgent need for me,¡± he said. ¡°But nowadays, I¡¯m very disappointed, and I?think I?will try my best to find a?way to get out.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com