The Swedish Committee helped facilitate 675 general educational classes for more than 22,000 students including 14,000 girls, in 15 districts of the southeastern province of Paktika, officials said.
An official of the Swedish committee in Paktika, Samar Gul Samsor, said that 675 classes have been held in various districts of Paktika.
“In Paktika province, we can say that around 22,000 children have been provided with education by the Swedish committee in Afghanistan. Around 14,000 of them are girls,”
The Paktika department of education said that if the facilities were provided, they would establish schools in areas where the residents were deprived of schools previously.
“We have cooperated with them (organizations) within our capacity and ordered the relevant departments to provide them with all types of assistance,” said Abdul Qayom Farooqi, head of the Paktika department of education.
TOLOnews reached out to the Zarandhi area of Orgoon district of Paktika province.
The students expressed happiness about the classes but said that there is no school for the girls and that the classes should become permanent.
“We are very happy about this class. We want a permanent, official school,” said Suraya, a student.
“We are very happy. I have learned a lot of things in this class. We want schools to be built for us,” said Nazia, a student.
“Since I came to school, I have learned a lot of things,” said Nooria, a student.
A teacher told TOLOnews that many residents of the area are interested in sending their girls to the classes.
“All (residents) of the village want to send their children to come here and learn. Those who there is space for fit in, they come here, but those who do not fit in, they will come next year,” said Nooria, a teacher.
“We want schools for the female students,” said Amanullah, a tribal elder.
The calls for the construction of permanent schools for girls comes as the Islamic Emirate banned girls in grades 7-12 from going to school.
