Taliban's plan to segregate classes by gender will put at risk educational achievements: UNESCO

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Tuesday said that the Taliban's plan to segregate classes by gender will put at risk the achievements the country has made in education.

UNESCO urged the Taliban to preserve gains made in education in Afghanistan, reported Tolo News.

Taliban issued new rules for Afghan women attending universities on Sunday under which they will be required to wear head coverings and the classrooms will be gender-segregated.

UNESCO said that the Taliban's plan to segregate classes by gender will put education achievements at risk.

Mina, who is studying computer science at a private university, raised concerns over the changes. Mina told Tolo News that many students are refusing to come to classes.

"Only five students were in our class today. There is no interest in studying," said Mina.

The statement by UNESCO reads that achievements made in education will be endangered if the mixed-education system is prohibited. The movement will have a negative effect on girls' education, reported Tolo News.

Meanwhile, several university teachers believe that the new plans of the Ministry of Higher Education will take time to be implemented.

Taliban government's new Higher Education Minister, Abdul Baqi Haqqani said that women cannot play sports, but can continue to study in Afghan universities. Co-ed classes are forbidden and women must adhere to an Islamic dress code.

Haqqani said the subjects being taught would also be reviewed. While he did not elaborate, he said he wanted graduates of Afghanistan's universities to be competitive with university graduates in the region and the rest of the world.

University teacher Zuhair Mosadeq said, "We have had some achievements during the last 20 years. We are not able to delete some subjects and replace them with others in one or two months."

Najibullah Wahedi, a teacher, said, "Separating students by gender will decrease education opportunities for girls; as a result, they (girls) will not continue their education."

( With inputs from ANI )