In Afghan government universities- the number of compulsory religious classes will extend from one to three a week. On Tuesday, education officials said that students in Afghan universities would have to attend more compulsory Islamic studies classes while giving a little hope that secondary schools for girls would reopen.

Many traditional Afghan clerics in the hardline Islamist Taliban, which swept back into power a year ago, are uncertain about the modern education system. Minister of Higher Education Abdul Haggani reported that they are adding five more religious subjects to the existing eight, including governance politics and history. He stated that the Taliban would not order any subject to let fall from the current curriculum.

Discontinued subjects

However, some afghan universities have eliminated studies on sculpture and music- sensitive issues under the Taliban's harsh interpretation of sharia law- while many professors have still seen subjects discontinued from the curriculum. The officials have insisted for months that schools will reopen for girls, swinging between financial and technical issues as excuses for the persistent closures.

On August 16, a senior official at the Education Ministry stated that families in rural areas were still not convinced of the need to send their girls to secondary schools.

Under the Taliban's last administration between 1996 and 2001, the schools for girls- primary and secondary never reopened under the Taliban control.

The officials added that they are trying to come up with a sound policy in coordination with their leaders so that those in rural areas are also convinced.

Regulations on girls and women

Since last year, the Taliban government has set extreme restrictions on girls and women to concede with their no-frills concept of Islam- effectively squeezing and eliminating them from public life. Many young women are still allowed to attend college/university, but a majority of girls have dropped out because of the fee cost or because their families are scared of them being out in public in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Also, without a certificate from secondary schools, teenage girls will not be eligible to sit future university entrance exams.

The international community has made the right to education an essential requirement for recognizing the Taliban government formally. Even with being in power for a year, no country has recognized the government yet.