The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) has drawn attention to the many young children in Iran who are paying the price of the Iranian regime’s negligence.
In an article on their website, they highlight the case of Mehdi Fathi, a math teacher in Sanandaj, north-west Iran, who posted a letter on social networks explaining the tragic condition of the schools across the country. In his letter he said:
“Less than five months after the old and worn walls of a school (in Sistan and Baluchistan Province) collapsed on the head of the devoted teacher ‘Hamid Reza Gangouzehi,’ we learned that once again in Sistan and Baluchistan the worn walls and doors of another school collapsed over a 5-year old school girl ‘Fariba Chardivari’ who with high enthusiasm along with other children of her age went to school to get her books, but while riding (swinging) on the school entrance door in her childhood world experienced the dream of flying …”
He continued: “Even the walls of Sistan and Baluchistan schools and most deprived areas in Iran are fed up with so much educational injustice and are no longer able to bear even the weight of the doors and windows, let alone the weight of a few children hanging on the doors and playing swinging game.”
He said that the iron door which is too heavy for the old and worn walls of the school collapsed and fell on the innocent children who were playing. One child died and another three had to go to hospital. The schools need to be demolished and a new solution found for these marginalized and deprived areas, he said.
“Our language falls short and we do not know how and with what language we should talk to the authorities to make them understand the dire and disastrous situation of schools to think on a fundamental solution?”
He questioned what other tragedies need to happen before the elite realise that the deprived children need to be protected. He said that the “profit-driven authorities” look after themselves instead of the collective interests of the people and that “thousands of accidents like these will not awaken their sleeping conscience”.
Teachers need to be able to teach and educate children, not worry about the safety of the classroom.
“Mr. President, Mr. Fanny and fervent representatives of the parliament, here is neither Gaza, nor Iraq, nor Syria… There is no war and no explosion nor suicide bombing to cause the death of schoolchildren and teachers. Here is Sistan and Baluchistan, and the walls of schools have undertaken the task of Daesh (ISIS) taking the lives of students and their teachers one after another. And we are still thinking about sophisticated military equipment to defend these people and this country….”
Photos of the terrible conditions can be seen on the NCRI’s website.
