Thousands of First-Grade Students in Iran Dropped Out of School This Year
According to the Deputy Minister of Elementary Education at Iran’s Ministry of Education, 89,000 first-grade students have dropped out of school during the current academic year.
Rezvan Hakimzadeh stated on Wednesday, December 15th, in an interview with ILNA news agency that families with two or three children who share a single smartphone would face difficulties if their exams are scheduled simultaneously.
According to officials at the Ministry of Education, dropout rates, which occur more frequently in “underprivileged” areas, have increased significantly in the current academic year.
Officials have attributed this to the inability of many students in these areas to access the internet and smart devices to participate in virtual classes.
The education minister’s adviser and head of the Shad network stated in mid-September that out of over 11 million students nationwide, approximately 3.5 million lack smart devices or have no internet access at all.
Hassan Al-Husseini reported that 3.2 million students, or 21 percent, are deprived of access to the Shad network, noting that the 300,000-person difference refers to students using borrowed smart devices.
Ms. Hakimzadeh, Deputy Minister of Education in Iran, asked school managers to develop precise scheduling plans given the overlapping exam times for students in the same family sharing smart devices.
The Director General of Education in Kerman also reported on December 11th that 120,000 students in the province lack access to smart devices or the internet.
Given Kerman’s student population of 650,000, it is estimated that approximately one-fifth of Kerman students in the new academic year lack access to the internet, tablets, or smartphones to attend classes, which are being held virtually this year due to coronavirus.
The suicide of Mohammad Mousavizadeh, an 11-year-old student from Bandar Dayyer in Bushehr Province, which occurred due to his family’s inability to afford a smartphone, generated significant reactions in media and social networks.
Iranian students in the new academic year are following their coursework through the Shad application at home due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The “Shad” network was launched by the Iranian government following the coronavirus outbreak in Iran and the closure of schools to enable distance learning.
Source: Radio Farda
