The reopening of schools: a mirror of the gaps and hopes in Iran’s education system
September 2025
Story by: Meraj Mirahmadian
With the arrival of Mehr and the ringing of the school bell, the country once again witnesses the excitement of students who, with new bags and books, step into a space that is meant to shape their future and that of the homeland. Yet, behind this lively façade lie complex and multilayered realities of Iran’s education system—realities that demand candid scrutiny and fearless critique.
1. Worn-out pillars: Critique of structure and content
For decades, Iran’s education system has rested on the foundations of rote memorization, extreme centralization, and avoidance of fostering critical thinking. Instead of being taught how to learn and how to think, Iranian students are largely preoccupied with accumulating information that often has little practical value in their personal and social lives.
Outdated curricula: Many textbooks—especially in the humanities and social sciences—not only fail to keep pace with global advancements but also stand at odds with the needs of today’s digital generation. The absence of essential training in areas such as critical thinking, media literacy, financial literacy, and civic education has created a deep rift between school and society.
Exam-driven governance: Rather than nurturing creative, skill-oriented individuals, the system has been placed in the service of the konkur (national university entrance exam). This transforms the sweet years of adolescence into a stressful and fiercely competitive period, stifling creativity at its very roots.
2. The digital divide and educational justice: a perpetual challenge
The reopening of schools comes at a time when educational justice still seems like an unattainable ideal.
Center-periphery divide: The quality of education in a private school in northern Tehran is simply incomparable to that of a nomadic school in Sistan and Baluchestan or a rural classroom in South Khorasan. Such inequities perpetuate cycles of poverty and deprivation for generations in these regions.
A hell called digital illiteracy: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the stark digital divide. While some students had access to smart devices and high-speed internet, many were left behind due to poverty. Today, this divide persists, and the education system still lacks a concrete plan to bridge it.
3. The teacher: an eroding pillar of the system
Teachers are the cornerstone of education. Yet their livelihood and social status have been deeply undermined.
Economic pressures: Insufficient salaries have entangled teachers in financial struggles, draining the mental energy needed for creativity and quality in teaching. This directly affects the standard of education.
Administrative burden and lack of professional autonomy: Teachers today are less educators than executors of top-down directives, drowning in paperwork. The absence of autonomy in choosing teaching methods and contributing to curriculum planning has diminished both their motivation and their effectiveness.
4. A critique of tarbiat: The disappearance of “nurturing” from “education and nurturing”
Iran’s education system has increasingly drifted away from the mission of tarbiat—the holistic nurturing of human beings.
Standardized assessment: A grade-based system measures all students—regardless of their diverse talents and interests—by the same yardstick. The result is a generation that is uniform and compliant, lacking the courage for questioning and innovation.
Crisis of identity and vitality: The prevailing atmosphere in many schools is repressive, filled with prohibitions, and devoid of joy. Instead of fostering self-confidence, talent discovery, and the delight of learning, blind obedience and destructive competition are emphasized.
A point of hope: The persistence of learning
Amidst all these challenges, there is a glimmer of light: Iranian society’s insatiable thirst for knowledge. Families, despite severe economic hardship, shoulder heavy educational expenses. Dedicated teachers, with selflessness, keep the flame of education alive. Students, despite all constraints, strive to explore the world and build a better future. This collective will is the greatest capital for change.
Conclusion and pathways forward
The reopening of schools should not merely be an annual event; it must serve as a moment for deep reflection and fundamental reconsideration. Reforming the education system is not a choice—it is an unavoidable necessity.
From rote learning to skill orientation: A fundamental revision of curricula aimed at teaching critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and life skills.
Educational justice as the top priority: Equitable distribution of resources, special attention to marginalized regions, and closing the digital divide.
Empowering teachers: Improving livelihoods and elevating the social status of teachers, while granting them professional autonomy.
Schools as centers of vitality and nurturing: Creating safe spaces for questioning, talent development, and the cultivation of responsible, informed citizens.
The beginning of the school year is an occasion to proclaim this truth: “Transforming education means transforming the future of Iran.” Without serious investment and the courage to bring change in this arena, hopes for a better tomorrow will remain elusive. We must not allow the decaying walls of schools to block the vision of bright horizons for the children of Iran.
Source: Ehsas.news
