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Tuesday 28th September 2021 | PALATINATE
Politics
Student
The plight of university students in Afghanistan bachelor courses last at least four years. According to World Education News & Reviews, Afghan students study general education for a year, before selecting their major the following year. Whether this structure will be maintained under the Taliban is still unknown. However, both upcoming and confirmed changes pose a massive threat to the country’s academic freedom, education levels, and the future of its young people. In 2020, Amnesty International reported that the Taliban were responsible for violating human rights and freedom of expression during the twentyyear war in Afghanistan. Such violations already conflict with the purpose and autonomy of education, suggesting that Afghan universities are at risk of losing their academic standing
internationally under the Taliban. If the Taliban replicate the governance of their rule between 1996 and 2001, censorships such as banning entertainment, and oppressing women, could severely affect academic freedom and the literacy rate. Although Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed that they would be “positively different” compared to the brutal regime during their last period in power, many of the changes implemented so far suggest otherwise. For example, no women will move onto higher education. Despite initial promises that their access would not be restricted, girls have currently been barred from secondary education. The promise that they would be different this time was made at the Taliban’s first press conference. They claimed that they would
be ruling Afghanistan “within the framework of Islamic law”, without providing many details about what this would look like. The Sharia, also known as Islamic law, is a legal system of Islam derived from the Quran, as well as from the Sunnah and Hadith — the deeds and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. It is used as a guideline for Muslims to understand how to navigate different aspects of life. As the Taliban follow the Sharia, the legal system itself will strongly influence education in Afghanistan. For instance, university majors such as arts, music, sports, and journalism could be either removed or amended to follow Islamic law. Women may be restricted from studying particular subjects or gaining any experience from work placements. This would
downgraded students from state schools, particularly those from disadvantaged areas. In the immediate aftermath, For some time now, Gavin it seemed, at least for a little Williamson has seemed to while, that Williamson’s career be almost immune to the was soon to be over. There were consequences of his actions. days of protests over the outcome That luck ran out when the of his grading system, calling for recent cabinet reshuffle saw just about everything short of his him removed from his post as head on a pike. Perhaps it was Education Secretary. Williamson due to his eventual U-turn that only became an MP in 2010, but his career just about survived. his relatively short career has To his credit, there was no been an eventful one. He rose such algorithm this year. quickly through the ranks Though he was again of the Conservative “His criticised for the party, becoming dismissal sharp disparities in Chief Whip and then was nothing attainment between Defence Secretary short of private and state in 2017, a post from school pupils (70% of inevitable” which he was fired private school pupils two years later, accused achieved an A or an A* of being the source of a this year, compared to just Government leak. 39% of state school pupils), His time as Education Secretary the reaction has been far more was similarly marred by scandal. muted. Nevertheless, grades Certainly, the Covid-19 crisis have risen across the board, meant that Williamson was once again leaving universities subject to a higher level of scrambling to accommodate scrutiny than might usually soaring numbers of students have been the case. Covid-19 meeting their entry conditions. caused unprecedented upheaval During his short tenure, in education: nationwide homeWilliamson focused much of schooling, a radical restructuring his rhetoric on the university of the exam process, student rent sector, urging a return to facestrikes up and down the country, to-face lectures this autumn and a university sector stretched and, perhaps to avoid being to the limits by a massive defined solely by his reactions rise in successful applicants. to the Covid-19 pandemic, Most notably, Williamson advocating strongly for free was heavily criticised last year speech on campus. Williamson after the algorithm he had put has been a key proponent of in place to moderate teacherthe Higher Education (Freedom assessed A-Level and GCSE of Speech) Bill. This would grades disproportionately
introduce, among other things, a “free speech champion” to monitor whether universities and student unions are properly protecting free speech. It would also provide legal recourse for speakers to seek compensation for any potential loss they might incur if they are no-platformed. Williamson’s position has been unpopular with student groups and university bodies alike, with the general secretary of the University and College Union calling it a “threat to freedom of speech” based on an “over-exaggeration of issues”. The validity of his argument notwithstanding, by wading headfirst into the so-called ‘culture war’ in such a fashion, Mr Williamson presumably intended to shore up much needed support among the more ideological factions of his party, and, indeed, of the Conservative base. Despite this, the damage caused to his reputation by successive problems with predicted grades, and the crisis in university admissions which they have provoked, clearly proved to be too much. With schools in England a l re a dy back,
universities soon to follow, and rising Covid-19 cases all over the country, the next few weeks will be critical for this Government. In such a situation, the Education Secretary must be someone the public trusts, with clear messaging and a clear plan. Arguably, Gavin Williamson lost that trust last year and he could never quite hope to regain it. It remains to be seen if his replacement, Nadhim Zahawi, can do better, but for many, Williamson’s credibility was so badly damaged that his dismissal was nothing short of inevitable.
Fan Wang It has been more than a month since Afghanistan was taken over by the Taliban. While much concerning the operation of the new governance remains uncertain, worrying announcements have been made around both schooling and higher education opportunities for women and girls. These include gender-segregated classrooms at university and the exclusion of girls from secondary education from the start of the academic year. These revelations prompt futher discussions surrounding the future of young people and higher education in Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s undergraduate system operates in a similar way to the United States’ higher education system, where the
have a significant impact on many young people’s future careers. University should be a place of wisdom and knowledge and one of the lifelong dreams for many ambitious young people, regardless of gender. While university students are supposed to be preparing for the start of term around this time, many reports of students in Afghanistan show that they are desperate to destroy any evidence of their lives before the Taliban’s takeover. A female student in Kabul, who also belongs to the Haraza minority, told the BBC that she burnt her university notes, hid all the books she read, and deactivated her social media to avoid being tracked by the Taliban. As the place of women in higher education in Afghanistan is in jeopardy, the future prosperity of the country is at stake.
The end of the road for Gavin Williamson Natalie Rengger
(Victoria Cheng)
(Victoria Cheng, Palatinate illustrations)
