KABUL: Some public universities reopened in Afghanistan on Wednesday for the principle time since the Taliban seized energy in August, with a trickle of girls attending classes that officials mentioned would possibly perhaps be segregated by intercourse.
Most secondary colleges for ladies and all public universities had been shuttered when the physique of workers stormed abet to energy, sparking fears ladies would again be barred from education — as came about at some stage in the Taliban’s first rule, from 1996-2001.
“It’s miles a second of enjoyment for us that our classes beget started,” Zarlashta Haqmal, who studies law and political science at Nangarhar College, informed AFP.
“However we are peaceable scared that the Taliban would possibly perhaps close them.”
One analyst mentioned the reopening of universities became as soon as a “significant marker” on the Taliban’s dual carriageway to world recognition.
Officers mentioned universities in Laghman, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Nimroz, Farah and Helmand provinces opened Wednesday.
Extra had been scheduled to resume operations in other locations in the nation later this month.
An AFP correspondent saw one little physique of workers of girls, wearing the all-covering burqa, enter Laghman College early Wednesday.
The boys who attended — ferried to the campus in native taxis and buses — had been dressed in ancient tunics recognized as shalwar kameez.
Attendance became as soon as very gentle and Taliban fighters guarded the doorway, a tripod-mounted machine gun resting on a enhance gate.
Most college students declined to give their solutions on returning to class, with some announcing they had been warned by authorities no longer to be in contact to the press.
Journalists had been avoided from coming into the Laghman campus and universities in diversified provinces.
-Most critical marker –
The Taliban beget mentioned they beget no objection to education for ladies, but want classes to be segregated and the curriculum primarily based totally on Islamic principles.
“We had been informed that the classes will be held in accordance with the Sharia law,” mentioned Malik Samadi, a 23-365 days-old fashioned mathematics student.
“I am hoping that they withhold the full classes because society needs them.”
“Education is the foundation of a nation,” mentioned civil engineering student Munsefullah at Helmand College, expressing pleasure at returning to his studies.
Still, while elated to be returning to lectures, one student looked past her studies with pessimism.
“We’re also unhappy because being political and law college students, our future is at menace as we obtained´t be in a position to bag jobs below this regime,” mentioned Khadija Azizi from Nangarhar College.
“It’s no extra graceful for us because we now beget lost hope for our future.”
On Tuesday, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan mentioned the reopening of universities became as soon as an “significant step” because it provided equal bag entry to to education for all.
The reopenings advance per week after a Taliban delegation held talks with Western officials in Norway, where they had been pressed on enhancing the rights of girls to unlock billions of greenbacks in seized resources and frozen foreign abet.
The halting of abet has precipitated a humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan, which has already been devastated by decades of warfare.
No nation has but recognised the sleek Taliban regime, which has promised a softer model of the harsh rule that characterised their first stint in energy.
The regime has imposed a few restrictions on ladies, including banning them from many govt jobs.
The Taliban express all ladies’ colleges will reopen by the cease of March.
“The reopening of public universities… would bode effectively for the return of girls (to college) spherical the nation,” United States Institute of Peace analyst Andrew Watkins informed AFP.
“This is the Taliban taking a step that is at menace of be a significant marker in inspiring nearer in direction of recognition.”
