University news home and abroad

TALIBAN suppression of women’s education in Afghanistan escalated further last month with a ban on women attending university.

The decision was announced on 20 December, when the country’s higher education minister authorised an indefinite suspension of female higher education. He claimed this decision was to prevent interaction between genders, and in response to female students not adhering to the strict dress code.

Dozens of women took to the streets to express their discontent, gathering outside Kabul University chanting, “education is our right, universities should be opened.” Security forces responded violently.

The international community has condemned the decision. The United Nations called it “a new low”, and the US warned of “consequences for the Taliban.” They were joined by others, including the Malala Fund, in demanding the reversal of the ban.

The ban further restricts women’s freedoms in Afghanistan, which have come under attack since the Taliban takeover in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US-led troops. Girls’ high schools were closed last March, and in November women were banned from Kabul’s parks and gyms.

FLORIDA and its Governor, Ron DeSantis, have proposed and implemented extremely conservative laws.

His newest action includes intervening in the education system by appointing several new board members for Sarasota's New College of Florida, all of whom are conservative. The reason given is that the college diverted from learning by focusing on “trendy, truthrelative concepts”.

The most prominent new board member is Christopher Rufo, previously Dean of the conserva tive Hillsdale College in Michigan, and a prominent fighter in the so-called culture wars.

This includes activism against transgender and racial issues, as well as supporting the Governor in the controversial “Don’t Say Gay Bill”, which stirs fear in the majorly left-leaning student body of the Liberal Arts college.

DESPITE the end of covid restrictions, many educational institutions have remained tied to the methods of the pandemic. While at one stage all courses were forced to cope with online teaching, data collected from 50 universities showed 28 per cent of courses have continued to be taught in a hybrid manner. In isolation this statistic seems low but is a drastic increase when compared to 4.1 per cent in 201819. While some students appreciate the continued flexibility, opinions remain divided, with some feeling they are overpaying for “a glorified streaming service”. Potential issues have arisen from hybrid learning as some students claim their courses were not advertised as such prior to starting their degree and others that online lectures were simply too busy to join. Student opinions remain mixed; however, what remains the priority is for universities to “continue to listen to and communicate clearly with students on how course learning is delivered”.

ANEW study from Ulster University and Atlantic Technological University suggests that a student’s risk of mental ill-health, drug or alcohol abuse could be linked to their choice of degree. The researchers created questionnaires which explored various facets of mental health and mental health support. The findings suggest that many students begin university with mental health problems, but that some courses were more likely to attract those who are susceptible to mental health problems. The paper highlighted those who study humanities and social work as being more predisposed to suffer from mental health illnesses. The study suggests that those studying life and health sciences had the lowest rate of psychological problems but that there is a big differentiation between disciplines showing the complexity of the tapestry of student mental health. According to the researchers, these findings show the need for improved mental health services and preventative measures. The researchers suggest wellbeing initiatives and mental health support should be more tailored to the subject that a student is taking to improve outcomes.