Since the Taliban extended their ban on female attendance at schools to include higher education in December 2022, internet-based course providers report a notable demand from Afghanistan for online courses in subjects such as English language, science, and business.
Since the Taliban extended their ban on female attendance at schools to include higher education in December 2022, internet-based course providers report a notable demand from Afghanistan for online courses in subjects such as English language, science, and business.
Despite the Taliban government’s ban on female education, tens of thousands of Afghan women and girls have managed to participate in online study programs offered by internet-based course providers, such as the University of the People.
The Taliban justifies the restrictions based on their conservative interpretation of Islamic law. According to UNICEF, the UN children’s fund, the ban has impacted over one million girls.
Despite the risks of discovery and challenges related to internet connectivity and power supplies, online learning has experienced a surge as a means to navigate the education restrictions. However, access to the internet remains limited and inconsistent across Afghanistan.
Statistics
In 2022, a Gallup survey revealed that 25 percent of men reported having internet access compared to only 6% of women. In rural areas, a mere two percent of women reported having internet access.
University of the People, a US-accredited non-profit higher education institution, reported that over the past year, more than 21,000 Afghan women applied for its degree courses. Currently, over 3,100 Afghan women are enrolled in programs covering subjects such as business, computer science, health, and education.
UK-based online learning platform FutureLearn reported enrolling over 33,000 Afghan students, predominantly female, since it provided free access to its premium digital learning platform a year ago during the Taliban’s ban on female education.
FutureLearn, launched by the UK’s Open University in 2012 and owned by Global University Systems since December 2022, provides over 1,200 courses. Among Afghan students, English language courses constitute four of the five most popular classes.
Exclusivity
Afghanistan’s National Examination Authority has announced that this year’s university entrance examinations will be exclusively open to male students.
The decision, which was conveyed through a letter from the Ministry of Higher Education, has triggered a wave of reactions and criticism both within the country and on the international stage, the TOLO News reported.
NEXA clarified that the responsibility for this decision lies solely with the MoHE, and they are merely following the instructions received.
Negotiations
UNICEF is in talks with the Taliban to sketch out the steps in possibly handing over its education programs in Afghanistan. It added that classes will continue to run during this transitional period.
This stems from unconfirmed reports that the Taliban have told international organizations to be no longer involved in education projects. The Taliban has not responded to a request for comment and the Afghan Ministry of Education has yet to confirm the policy, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, UNICEF shared that the education ministry has assured them that community-based classes, which educate 500,000 students, will remain open while discussions are ongoing.
Failure
A recent report from Human Rights Watch sheds light on the adverse impact of the Taliban’s stringent educational policies in Afghanistan, raising concerns not only for the education of girls and women but also for boys.
Between 2002 and 2021, a staggering 3,816,793 girls were enrolled in first through 12th grades in Afghanistan, as revealed by the 2020-2021 annual report from the Afghan Ministry of Education. The report further outlined the operation of 18,765 public and private schools across the country during the same period.
Afghanistan boasted a substantial education infrastructure with over 200,000 teachers, including 80,554 women. In 2020, the enrollment of over 100,000 Afghan women in public or private universities marked a significant stride. Moreover, data from 2019 indicated the presence of 2,439 female lecturers in higher education institutions.
Over the past two decades, public and private universities have flourished, providing women and girls with diverse opportunities to contribute meaningfully to Afghanistan’s future.
In a 19-page report titled “‘Schools are Failing Boys Too’: The Taliban’s Impact on Boys’ Education in Afghanistan,” Human Rights Watch documents the Taliban’s policies and practices since assuming control of the country in August 2021, which are undermining the education of Afghan boys.
The report highlights actions such as the dismissal of female teachers, heightened use of corporal punishment, and regressive alterations to the curriculum. Despite the global attention garnered by the Taliban’s bans on secondary and higher education for girls and women, the significant harm inflicted on the education system for boys has received less recognition.
