Based on recent cabinet’s decree and signature of the Minister of Higher Education, all public and private universities across the country have been closed to female students until further notice.
Following the announcement, the issue went viral in social media and changed to a hot topic for radio and TV channels. The decision has been widely condemned at the national and international levels. Besides, a number of lecturers from various universities in the country have resigned as university lecturers.
In reaction of this issue, acting minister of higher education in an interview has outlined four problems for the closure of higher education institutions to female students in the country, adding that efforts are underway to address the problems.
He considered lack of observation of hijab by female students, somehow continuation of unlawful coeducation, problems in curriculum and some faculties for female students and accommodation
of female students and commuting of female students from province to province without their male
companion as a range of problems that made the MoHE close all higher education institutions to female
students in the country.
What the decision unveiled?
As mentioned above, the announcement of closure of all public and private universities has been widely condemned at the national and international levels.
Besides, reactions to the announcement have been also unprecedented. Even those who used to avoid
sending their small daughters to even mosques’ mullah for learning something reacted and condemned the decision. The decision as also condemned by those who considered girls school and Girls’ Universities as places for obscenity and even stopped the girls of remote areas from going to school.
The decision also unveiled the face of Afghan seculars who were ideologically opposing the Islamic Emirate until yesterday. These Afghan seculars by too much exaggeration even insulted the marks of Islam and asked for imposing sanctions on ulamas. To summarize, the decision has been strongly condemned at national and international levels by all classes of people through media and social media. The reason why the issue went viral on social media and met increasing reactions of people is the issue of education as no nation wants to have an illiterate and uneducated community. As a nation, the Afghans who have now
reached overall security and peace want to learn and get education at any price.
If there are dozens thousands of religious seminaries funded by ordinary people, there are also dozen thousands of modern schools where students get modern education. The people now know the importance of both schools and madrasas; therefore, they get upset if problems are created.
In addition, we are facing with the lack of cadres at modern studies institutes; therefore, all Afghans are working together to see this gap is filled at the institutes.
The other reason was the propaganda of foreign networks that made people oppose it from various channels. Although there was no public ban in previous regime, Islamic emirate personal kept on
studying in madrasas despite of bombardment and night raids. As there was not any considerable
voice against it, the reason was that foreigners paid no attention to improvement in this regard, while the nation was supporting it.
There are now considerable suggestions and ways for addressing problems facing the country’s higher education institutions. The Islamic Emirate needs to know that closing education and higher education centers is not the solution. As we see, dozens thousands of girls have been now provided with facilities to continue their studies virtually through which diaspora and foreigners can easily wash girls brains, our higher education cadres resign or some might leave the country for bright future of their daughters are all somehow lead the country to another crisis.
I think one of the solution of lack of observation of hijab by girls is that special women vice and virtue team should be tasked at universities and education centers to totally prevent the violations.
Secondly, for better learning environment, more female national and international cadres should be appointed to teach female students.
Thirdly, to end immoral activities at higher education institutions, a good solution is to end dowry in the country, instead, the dowry which is a tradition should be accepted between the parties, which help end immoral activities.
If some faculties do not suit Afghan girls, the girls who have passed for such faculties should follow and complete these faculties, but good if the selection options of these faculties are limited for girls in the future. The Islamic Emirate should expand girls education series from cities to remote districts and villages. This can somehow stop increasing propaganda of the enemies of the people of Afghanistan.
Mahmoud Ahmadi
Closure of universities; benefits, harms & necessary suggestions
