Preserve educational gains, UN asks Taliban

KABUL (Pajhwok): The UN has warned of a huge blow to women’s participation in higher education if a ban on co-education is implemented.

The Taliban, who overtook the country last month, recently announced gender-based segregation of classes and restricting males teaching females.

In a new report, UNESCO also called for urgent actions while devising initiatives towards building an inclusive and equitable quality education system.

“If a ban on co-education is implemented and on males teaching females, this will deal a huge blow to women’s participation in higher education…” it said.

The report added the combination of the lack of female teachers, severe constraints in paying teachers’ salaries and the withdrawal of international aid could have serious consequences for the continuity of education.

Entitled “The Right to Education: What is at stake in Afghanistan?”, the report details the gains made at all levels of the system.

It also sets out the wide range of constitutional and legal commitments the country made to advance the right to education.

Since 2001, Afghanistan has ratified international normative instruments on education and women’s rights and enshrined the right to education for all citizens in the Constitution, guaranteeing nine years of compulsory education for all boys and girls.

The country is heavily reliant on international aid, which accounts for half its education expenditure.

pr/mud

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