International Day of Education; Annual Report on the Status of Right to Education in Iran
A collection of human rights activists in Iran, coinciding with the International Day of the Right to Education, presented the following report examining the status of education and teaching, as well as the treatment of activists in this field, including teachers and students, between January 24, 2020 and January 24, 2021.
The right to education is a fundamental right that should be available free of charge at least to all children at primary and elementary levels. However, many students in Iran have been deprived of the right to education due to lack of facilities, educational spaces, and deteriorated schools. According to the CEO of the Society for the Protection of Children’s Rights (SPRC), approximately 1 million children live in underdeveloped or poor neighborhoods in Iran who are deprived of education, and 49,000 children do not attend schools due to lack of identity documents or false employment. While these statistics do not show significant fluctuation year to year, during the coronavirus pandemic, the number of children deprived of education nearly tripled. This increase is due to the lack of proper infrastructure for online education and the sudden shift from classroom-based teaching to online schools during the coronavirus pandemic.
At the university level, in addition to many systemic challenges for university admission, many students have been prevented from pursuing higher education due to their religious beliefs. Those who adhere to religions not officially recognized by the government, particularly Baha’is, are not permitted to continue studies at higher levels. Baha’i students, in addition to being barred from completing higher education at Iranian universities, are also deprived of online education. Many teachers, students, and individuals associated with the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) have been arrested in recent years and sentenced to lengthy prison terms.
Additionally, many students and teachers have been arrested, suspended, expelled, or reprimanded for expressing their thoughts and opinions or for organizing peaceful gatherings or publishing student publications.
These actions violate freedom of thought and religion, freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of assembly, and the right to education. It should be noted that the right to education includes equal access to higher education for all based on merit.
Primary and Elementary Education
Access to primary and elementary education has not been equally possible for all due to various factors, including lack of infrastructure, failure to serve children without identity documents, poverty, and cultural and linguistic discrimination. According to the CEO of the Society for the Protection of Children’s Rights, approximately 1 million children live in underdeveloped or poor neighborhoods in Iran who are deprived of education, and 49,000 children do not attend schools due to lack of identity documents or false employment.
While these statistics do not show significant fluctuation year to year, during the coronavirus pandemic, due to the lack of proper infrastructure for online education and the sudden shift in teaching from classrooms to online schools resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, we witnessed an approximately threefold increase in the number of children deprived of primary education. According to the Minister of Education, 3 million and 225,000 children are deprived of education due to lack of access to the internet or devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers.
With the outbreak of the coronavirus and school closures, the Ministry of Education announced that it would resume student education through the internet using a platform called “Shad.” This online platform, which requires internet access, has been criticized by teachers and civil society activists since its inception. Problems with online education in Iran and the sudden closure of schools without significant support for underprivileged students, lack of access to reliable internet in many parts of the country, especially in rural areas, and the financial inability of students and their families to provide necessary devices for this type of education such as smartphones, have been among these criticisms.
Children without identity documents: Another major discriminatory aspect of the “Shad” platform is that it requires students to register with their national identification number, leaving undocumented children without access to primary and elementary education.
Children in rural and nomadic areas: There are also reports from various parts of the country that due to the lack of proper internet infrastructure, children have had to climb to high points near their residences such as mountains and hills in order to connect to the Shad network and participate in classes.
Children in poor neighborhoods or city margins: A significant portion of Iran’s population lives on the outskirts of cities or in poor housing conditions. Children living in these conditions are disproportionately affected by the sudden shift to online education. According to the Iranian Land Use Planning Association, by 2020, 45% of Iran’s population lived in houses located in poor neighborhoods or city margins. According to the head of this association, “If we calculate 45 percent of the country’s 85 million population, today 38 million people live on the outskirts of cities or in poor housing.” Given these statistics, approximately half of the country’s population lives in conditions that make online education inaccessible or difficult for them.
University and Higher Education
Access to higher education in Iran is limited to a national examination system (Konkour), an exam that all students wishing to enter university must take and based on their ranking in this exam, they are admitted to their chosen universities and fields of study. This exam is highly competitive and most students are not admitted to their chosen universities or fields. In recent years, based on Iran’s Supreme Leader’s policies, fewer places have been allocated for female students; however, female students comprise more than half of university admissions with higher acceptance rates compared to male students. According to the head of the Assessment Organization, responsible for conducting the national university entrance exam (under the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology), in 2020, 101,912 women were admitted to the national university entrance exam, which represents 53.6% of the total registered individuals.
The following section contains statistics from the Human Rights Activists in Iran section regarding the status of students and teachers in Iran over the past year.
During the period from January 24, 2020 to January 20, 2021, a total of 7 students were detained. Additionally, 11 students and student activists were sentenced to 512 months of imprisonment and 222 lashes. On the other hand, 21 student gatherings and 3 home inspections and seizures of personal belongings were recorded.
Also, on February 28, 2020, four students in Qazvin were poisoned due to a methane gas leak from a sewer well at Buein Zahra Technical Engineering University in the city and were transferred to medical centers.
It should be noted that twenty students from Ardabil University of Medical Sciences were reprimanded and suspended for gathering and participating in a memorial service for the victims of the Ukrainian plane disaster.
Moreover, 23 Baha’i students were prevented from continuing their education.
Student publications were also confiscated during this period.
Teachers and Teacher Labor Activists:
During the period from January 24, 2020 to January 20, 2021, a total of 3 teachers were detained and 13 teachers and teacher labor activists were sentenced to 334 months of imprisonment, 45 lashes, and a fine of twelve million and one hundred thousand tomans.
Also, on August 20, 2020, a teacher in Jarre and Balade, one of the districts of Kazerun city in Fars Province, committed suicide by consuming poison. The reason for this action was cited as his failure in the Literacy Movement exam.
Source: Hrana
