Teachers’ Trade Union Criticizes Ban on Food Sales in Schools
The coordinating council of teachers’ trade unions strongly criticized the ban on food sales in schools during the month of Ramadan.
The Ministry of Education issued a directive prohibiting the sale of food in school cafeterias during Ramadan. Following this directive, the coordinating council of Iran’s teachers’ trade unions issued a statement yesterday protesting the measure, stating: “Banning food sales in schools is promoting violence and harm against children’s bodies. Children should not go hungry.”
In a circular signed and approved by Mohsen Abdolmalek, Deputy for Educational Affairs and Physical Education at the Ministry of Education, it stated: “The operation of all school cafeterias in urban and rural areas is prohibited from March 2, 2025 to April 4, 2025, and any violations will be prosecuted according to law.”
The coordinating council of teachers’ trade unions, while releasing an image of this circular, emphasized that implementing this directive contradicts the principles of nutrition science and stated: “In circumstances where poverty is widespread, such restrictions can lead to greater hunger among students. If the government lacks the capacity to provide free nutrition, it should not use harmful directives to prevent families from supporting their children.”
The aforementioned council, while warning the Ministry of Education for institutionalizing this crisis, described this decision as an ideological decree lacking scientific and health backing. In a post on its Telegram channel protesting this directive, the council wrote: “Managers of the education ministry, who are responsible for students’ physical and mental health, should not jeopardize their health with incorrect decisions. The physical and mental health of children should not become a casualty of ideological considerations and economic inefficiency.”
