The Ministry of Education, grappling with unprecedented challenges, has prioritized ideological influences over critical issues such as teacher shortages and classroom inadequacies. Hamid Nikzad, the advisor to the Minister of Education, recently announced a strategic initiative to establish seminary-affiliated schools across the country.
This move aligns with the broader government aim to integrate religious teachings into the educational landscape, a decision that reflects Iran’s emphasis on promoting Iranian-Islamic culture within its schooling system.
The introduction of projects like ‘Amin’ and ‘Mosque, School, and Home’ underlines this ideological shift. The ‘Amin’ project, now operational in 7,000 schools, is designed to propagate Islamic education and address students’ religious doubts. With the upcoming budget, there is an expectation of increased funding for these ideological measures, amidst national unrest and protests by teachers and students.
These steps are taken despite the absence of employment concerns for these seminary students. Amid these developments, religious groups closely allied with the government are actively lobbying for a larger share of the education budget. They present balance sheets and define ideological projects before the budget bill’s approval, aiming to strengthen the ties between mosques and schools.
However, this ideological focus comes at a significant cost. Reports indicate that about 100,000 classrooms nationwide are suffering from a lack of teachers. In Sistan and Baluchistan province alone, there is a reported shortage of 14,500 teachers. Similarly, the representative from Ilam province has highlighted teacher shortages in 506 schools.
Further, the recruitment of female students for schools, particularly for teaching religious education to children and adolescents, has raised concerns. Despite questions about their selection process, proponents argue that their presence as elementary teachers is in line with the Islamic evolution of education.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Hamidreza Khan Mohammadi, has expressed concern about 3.5 million students studying in hazardous conditions, a result of transforming Iran’s primary schools into more literary-focused institutions.
This development raises overarching concerns that the government, along with the IRGC, seminaries, and security institutions, is prioritizing the advancement of regime goals in schools, overshadowing the essential educational requirements of students.
As Iran’s education system continues to face these multifaceted challenges, the future of its students hangs in the balance, with ideological pursuits taking precedence over fundamental educational needs.
MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTu
