The Taliban government's higher education minister has said that women in Afghanistan can continue their education in universities, including the postgraduate level, but gender segregation in the classroom and Islamic dress will be mandatory.
According to the International News Agency, the Taliban government's Education Minister Abdul Baqi Haqqani, while giving a policy statement in a news conference, said that the Taliban do not want to turn back the clock 20 years, but will start building the existing things from today.
However, the education minister also said that university students would face various restrictions, including on dress code. Female students will be required to wear hijab and full Islamic dress.
Education Minister Abdul Baqi Haqqani added that there must be a curtain, fence or barrier between the girls 'and boys' seats in the classroom. Co-education cannot be allowed, nor will boys and girls be allowed to sit together.
The Minister of Education also expressed the desire for the graduates of the universities of Afghanistan to compete with the graduates of the universities of the region and the rest of the world, but he also said that the subjects taught would also be reviewed.
Education Minister Abdul Baqi Haqqani did not say what changes would be made to the curriculum under consideration and whether the hijab ban in the dress code would mean wearing a scarf or covering the face completely.
Taliban leaders have repeatedly assured that, unlike in the 1990s, their style of governing will change dramatically and women will be given access to jobs and education.
On the contrary, women have been banned from playing sports and many points in the education policy are still unclear, while the return to employment has also been delayed.
