Ban on girls’ entry test: Most private varsities risk closure

KABUL (Pajhwok): The private universities union says most of the universities risk closure following the Higher Ministry Education’s ban on girls’ entrance exams.

Two days ago, the Ministry of Higher Education directed private universities and higher educational institutes to postpone registering girls for the university entrance test until further notice.

Mohammad Karim Nasiri, media manager of the private universities’ union, said the curbs on female university students and private universities would have consequences and had created problems.

According to him, there are 140 private universities with about 200,000 students in 24 provinces and 35 percent of them are girls.

He added: “We can say that 65,000-70,000 girls are pursuing their higher education in private universities and institutes of higher education.”

Prof. Dr. Azizullah Amir, founder of Moraa Education Complex, also expressed serious concern over the latest ban on girls’ education.

He said: “Unfortunately, the damage of this decree is irreparable; time is running out, all female students will lose a year because no registration or participation of girls in the entrance examination will waste a whole year.”

He said the ban not only affected girls but also the private universities and schools.

“Unfortunately, the majority of our students are in the process of leaving the country. Most of the students come and demand their transcripts, they want their grades and say we are going abroad, especially to countries that have announced free scholarships for Afghan girls and this is a disaster,” he added.

Azizullah expressed the hope that the issue would be ended as soon as possible and the Islamic Emirate would allow girls to resume their education to prevent them from leaving the country.

Meanwhile, another private university head in Kabul also said the new announcement had worried them. He said the recent ban by the caretaker government regarding education of girls would severely harm private universities.

He added: “In 1400 year, we had about 500 students and more than 100 of them were females.”

Hafiz Ziaullah Hashimi, a spokesman for MoHE, said the ministry had tasked a committee with investigating the complaints and problems of private universities.

He said they had several meetings with representatives and chancellors of private universities. “The leadership of the ministry has promised them that we would cooperate with you with all our efforts in solving the problems you are facing.”

He did not respond to the query whether girls would be allowed to go to education centers in the academic year 1402 or not and the exemption of private universities from tax and repair fees that operate in government properties.

sa/ma

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