Date: 03/02/1401 The Taliban's Ministry of Higher Education says that to prevent the mixing of male and female students, their attendance at universities in Kabul and the Polytechnic has been arranged on separate days, Ahmad Taqi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Higher Education, publicly announced the Taliban's directive on Saturday, April 22. He clarified that this decision applies solely to central universities and the Polytechnic University. In a subsequent statement, Kabul Polytechnic University informed students that they must adhere to the new schedule starting from the fourth day of Eid al-Fitr. Under this new arrangement, even days are designated for female students, while odd days are reserved for male students. Previously, the Ministry of Higher Education had implemented a schedule where female students attended classes in the morning and male students in the afternoon. However, this division was deemed insufficient, prompting the decision to allocate separate days for each gender. The Taliban continue to oppose co-education.

The Taliban’s policy of assigning separate days for male and female university students in Kabul and Polytechnic universities intensifies gender segregation in higher education. This reported directive, replacing an already restrictive system of split-day scheduling, further limits educational access for women by reducing the number of days they can attend. It undermines gender equality, curtails women’s right to education and personal autonomy, and reinforces systemic discrimination within academic institutions. The justification—preserving modesty during Ramadan—reflects a broader ideological stance that continues to erode women’s participation in public life.