In a decisive move that erases two decades of academic progress, Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have unleashed a stringent new framework for the nation's universities. The directive, issued by the Ministry of Higher Education, mandates a complete overhaul of the educational system to align with their strict interpretation of Islamic law.
The most impactful change enforces absolute gender segregation. The policy explicitly "bans co-education and must be respected", effectively shutting down mixed-gender classrooms. Furthermore, female students will now only be taught by women professors or, in their absence, by "old men of good character".
Beyond segregation, the new curriculum undergoes a severe purge. Subjects such as fine arts, music, sculpture, and philosophy have been outright banned, deemed incompatible with Islamic values. Even core sciences like journalism and engineering are being critically reviewed and potentially diluted to fit the regime's ideological mould.
This crackdown extends to campus life and attire. The decree bans "immoral and Western-style clothing" and prohibits the use of university facilities for any mixed-gender gatherings. The academic calendar itself has been reshuffled to accommodate more time for religious studies.
This policy formalises and expands upon the Taliban's earlier restrictions on female education, which had already seen girls barred from secondary schools. The international community has condemned these actions as a systematic effort to exclude women from public life and erase intellectual freedom, pushing Afghanistan towards an profound educational and humanitarian crisis.
