Taliban authorities Saturday shut down girls schools above the sixth grade in eastern Afghanistan’s Paktia province, according to witnesses and social media posts. The schools had briefly opened after a recommendation by tribal elders and school principals.
Earlier this month, four girls schools above grade 6 in Gardez, the provincial capital, and one in the Samkani district began operating without formal permission from the Taliban Education Ministry.
On Saturday, all five schools were once again closed by the Taliban.
Dozens of tearful former students — some in head-to-toe burqas, others in school uniforms and white vails - protested Saturday in the streets of Gardez, according to social media posts.
