Iran's education crisis as 790,000 children miss school year

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - As the new school year commences in Iran and East Kurdistan, a staggering 790,000 children remain unenrolled in schools, painting a bleak picture of the country's education crisis.

Mohammad Alavi-Tabar, the Deputy Head of the Educational Research and Planning Organization, revealed the alarming statistic to the Iranian Tasnim news agency, stating that the situation is unprecedented in the Iran’s history.

While approximately 16 million students returned to classrooms for the 2024-2025 academic year, the 790,000 children who are out of school cast a shadow over the education sector. This figure includes 9.2 million primary, 3.8 million secondary, and 2.9 million high school students.

The Iranian Ministry of Education anticipates 1.5 million new first-graders this year. Meanwhile, the private sector caters to 2.5 million students enrolled in 18,000 schools across various levels.

Alavi-Tabar attributes part of the enrollment shortfall to overcrowding in certain public schools, leading to confusion and uncertainty among parents seeking enrollment elsewhere. The lack of purchased textbooks further highlights the issue, with 890,000 students yet to acquire any materials, despite 154 million books being printed and available.

Additionally, the Iranian Ministry of Education reports a shortage of 176,000 teachers across public institutions. This significant gap will be temporarily filled by retired educators, potentially impacting the quality of education.

The alarming number of unenrolled children coupled with teacher shortages underscores the deep-rooted challenges plaguing Iran's education system.

As the academic year begins, concerns linger about the long-term consequences for these children and the nation's future.