The Ministry of Education said on Saturday that the reopening of girls’ schools over grade six in the country is based on the authority of the Islamic Emirate’s leadership.

MoE spokesman Aziz Ahmad Reyan said anytime the leadership orders the reopening of schools, the ministry is ready to act accordingly. “The reopening of girls’ schools from grade seven to twelve is for the authorities of the Islamic Emirate’s leadership,” he said. “Anytime the leadership issues an order, the Education Ministry is ready to reopen all girls’ schools immediately.”

Girls’ schools beyond grade six have remain closed, which has drawn sharp criticism in Afghanistan and abroad. In Afghanistan, politicians, religious scholars, women's rights activists and others have called for the reopening of schools.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that girls’ education in Afghanistan is needed to overcome the nation's challenges. “I deeply regret that girls’ education above 6th grade remains suspended – an unjustifiable violation of equal rights that damages the entire country,” he said on Twitter.

Amnesty International also in a new report raised concerns over girls’ education and said that women and girls have been sidelined from social life in Afghanistan following the political changes in the country.

“Since the Taliban seized power seven months ago, Women and girls in Afghanistan have almost disappeared from the public life. This includes most of the several million girls who were enrolled in schools, the 88,000 female students who were studying at public and private universities, and the many, many women barred from returning to their jobs as judges, prosecutors, senior security officials, businesspersons and teachers,” the report reads.

A number of Afghan girls also urged the Islamic Emirate to reopen their schools so they can resume their education.

Previously, the UN Security Council and the European Union also made statements calling for the reopening of all girls’ schools across the country.