Minister of Education: Education of students following unofficial religions is prohibited
On the sidelines of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, September 10, Education Minister Mohsen Haji Mirzaei said about the education of students who follow unofficial religions: "If students state that they follow religions other than the country's official religions and their actions are considered a form of propaganda, their education in schools is prohibited."
It seems that Mr. Haji Mirzaei's statement was in response to news that some human rights sources published in the past two days about the prevention of a Baha'i student from studying in a high school in Semnan.
According to these sources, a high school in Semnan, on the orders of the provincial education department, has refused to enroll a student named Borna Pirasteh in the third grade of high school because she is a Baha'i.
The Minister of Education did not provide further explanation about how to express religion in a way that is not considered propaganda.
According to Article 30 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, "the government is obligated to provide free education and training facilities for all people until the end of secondary school."
This is while some Baha'i citizens are saying on social media that simply declaring themselves Baha'is will result in the expulsion of students from educational centers.
Over the past forty years, Baha'i citizens in Iran have often faced pressures including the sealing of their businesses, deprivation of the right to education, destruction of graves, and arrest and imprisonment.
Source: Radio Farda
