British Universities Offer Afghan Women Free Courses To Counter Education Ban
By Alexa Heah, 04 Jan 2023
At the tail end of last year, the Taliban issued a shocking decree that saw most women in Afghanistan banned from receiving education beyond the sixth grade, with security forces sent to universities and learning centers around the nation to put the measure in place.
The National News reports that Nida Mohammad Nadim, one of the country’s ministers for Higher Education, said the ban was “necessary to prevent the mixing of genders in universities,” and that certain subjects taught were a breach of Islamic and Afghan rules.
Thankfully, it appears there could still be a way for female residents in the country to continue scholastic endeavors, as over 20 top British universities banded together to offer free courses to the marginalized population for as long as the ban remains intact.
Girls and women with an internet connection will be given access to more than 1,200 courses spanning top institutions via FutureLearn, an off-shoot of Open University that delivers lessons for many of the world’s most prestigious universities.
All learners are required to be over the age of 16, with most courses available in English on-demand and lasting between two to six weeks. Popular subjects offered include learning English, healthcare and medicine, and IT and computer science. The platform says it is possible to receive a digital certificate for completing the modules.
However, it may not be as easy for residents in the country to access the internet as we do on a daily basis, though there seems to be progress when it comes to the Taliban’s tolerance for modern technology.
In August, Bloomberg reported that the ruler, which had previously blocked access to the web in order to stop “immorality and obscenity,” relented on the technology, though at the moment, most Afghans with internet access still rely on spotty 2G connection.
According to FutureLearn chairman Jo Johnson, while the initiative may not be perfect, given the obstacles to do with poor connectivity, poverty, and language barriers, it could still be valuable in allowing women in the country to “assert their inalienable human right to education.”
“This commendable move by FutureLearn to open up its platform to women denied their rights under this regime will play a useful part in keeping education within reach of those with an internet connection,” concurs Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, President of the Open Society Foundation.
For more information about the program, head here.
[via The National News and FutureLearn, cover image via Trentinness | Dreamstime.com]