Afghanistan’s public universities reopen after six months

Afghan government universities reopened to male and female students on Saturday after a hiatus of six months.

The move has been widely welcomed by students across the country.

Girls and boys at Kabul University who are resuming their studies have meanwhile appealed to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to provide them with more facilities for the duration of their studies.

The gates of public universities were reopened on the basis of a calendar set by the Ministry of Higher Education.

However ministry officials have not commented on the mechanism of students’ lessons for the upcoming academic year.

Shukria Hujat, a student at the Faculty of Environment at Kabul University of Education, is one of the students who returned to her class.

Hujat says she is happy to return to class, but was surprised by the changes on campus.

“There have been many changes in the university in terms of curriculum and environment. It is more like a Madrasa than a university. Girls are more concerned with their clothes and behavior than their lessons,” Hujat said.

Kabul University is the largest educational center in Afghanistan with thousands of students enrolled there.

On Saturday the bell for the 1401 academic year was rung here as well.

Girls meanwhile are extremely happy to be back after having lost hope for a while.

“Before university started, we had lost hope. We had no hope of coming back to university and studying. There were rumors that there was no study. We were very disappointed with the female class,” said Hussnia Mutasim, student.

“I am happy that the lessons have started. I met my classmates also and the professors came to teach us and we have achieved our basic right to education,” said another student Halima Mutasim.

The male students also want the university environment to be safe for girls and the study conditions to be favorable in accordance with Sharia law, but they want the Islamic Emirate to completely eradicate the atmosphere of prejudice from this educational center.

“Because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the change of regime, the students have been absent from lessons for almost a year, and it is a good thing that the universities have started again today,” said Fayaz Ahmad, a male student.

In the early days of the Islamic Emirate government, the Ministry of Higher Education said that they would create a new mechanism for government universities. Despite universities having reopened, the ministry has not made the new mechanism public.