Iran International
Prominent reformist journalist and social researcher Abbas Abdi has issued a stark warning about Iran's education crisis, cautioning that it could have a profound impact on the nation's development.
In a Thursday article in the reformist-leaning Etemad newspaper, Abdi pointed out that nearly one million students have dropped out of school, many are officially enrolled but do not attend classes or take exams, and average grade scores are alarmingly low.
He argued that comparing university entrance exam results across different regions and schools in the country revealed a significant educational disparity affecting the system.
In August, the head of the Education Ministry's Evaluation Center reported that the average grade for final-year high school students had dropped to 10.89 on a 20-point scale. In Iran's grading system, a score of 10 is considered the minimum passing grade, meaning many students are barely meeting academic requirements.
Abdi also claimed that that the poor quality of public education primarily affects ordinary citizens, while the children of high-ranking state officials benefit from costly private schooling, often in institutions that offer instruction in foreign languages.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has repeatedly addressed the concerning educational disparity and the deterioration of the educational system, emphasizing that 'educational justice' is a fundamental pillar of his proclaimed reform agenda.
“It is not acceptable for the child of someone who doesn’t have money and connections to study in a school where he may not get a good education … All schools must meet a satisfactory standard. It is unacceptable that all who get to go to university come from families whose children can study in special and private schools,” he said in a speech in September.
Barriers to education in Iran's rural and underserved regions
Iran's educational system is confronted with numerous challenges, including a shortage of schools, overcrowded classrooms, and a lack of trained teachers, particularly in rural and underserved regions like the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
In this province, tens of thousands of children do not attend school due to poverty and inadequate rural transportation facilities. Additionally, thousands more are denied access to education simply because they lack birth certificates or other identity documents.
In some impoverished areas, child marriage is also a significant factor contributing to the failure of girls to attend school.
In 1981, two years after the Islamic Revolution, the newly established Islamic Republic lowered the minimum marriage age from 18 for girls and 20 for boys. Current laws now permit girls to marry at 13 and boys at 15, with provisions that allow for the marriage of even younger children.
According to official figures over 27,000 girls under the age of 15 had been married across the country during a nine-month period from 2021 to 2022. Additionally, nearly 70,000 girls between the ages of 10 and 19 gave birth within the span of just twelve months.
University admission quotas as a barrier to quality education
Another serious issue affecting the quality of education, Abdi said, is the university admission quotas.
These quotas benefit the family members of martyrs and veterans of the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), as well as military and police personnel killed in service and other government employees. The largest quotas, however, are allocated to students from deprived areas.
According to Abdi, around 75 percent of those admitted to medical schools are accepted solely because they benefit from these quotas.
These quotas allow students with lower academic achievements to gain admission to the most prestigious universities. Many believe this has significantly reduced the overall quality of higher education.
In recent years, the education ministry has hired thousands of clerics and seminary students to replace trained teachers. Critics argue that this could further compromise the quality of education for the younger generation in Iran.
The case, which involves allegations of stealing valuable items from homes in northern Tehran, has been referred to the Tehran Provincial Criminal Court, according to a Sunday report by the state-run Iran newspaper.
“As the number of plaintiffs in this theft ring reached 46, police reviewed surveillance footage from around the crime scenes. They discovered that the members of this gang entered homes in groups of four or five,” wrote Iran.
The defendants face charges of stealing gold, jewelry, US dollars, and luxury carpets, with the stolen goods valued at about five hundred billion rials ($800,000). The suspects were identified through police investigations and surveillance footage and arrested shortly after the thefts, which began in the summer of 2022.
The punishment, as described in the indictment by Branch Five of Tehran’s Special Theft Prosecutor’s Office, is rooted in the “hadd” law under Iran's Islamic Penal Code. This law prescribes harsh penalties for theft, including amputation, based on Islamic jurisprudence.
The first offense guidelines mandate the amputation of four fingers from the right hand. For repeat offenders, harsher punishments follow: the second theft results in the amputation of the left foot, the third leads to life imprisonment, and the fourth can result in execution.
The sentencing has drawn attention, particularly from international human rights groups. Pegah Bani Hashemi, a senior legal researcher at the University of Chicago, commented on the severity of the punishments in an interview with Iran International, stating: “While countless embezzlements happen in Iran and the individuals involved often spend just a few years in prison, how can it be acceptable that someone stealing minor items faces amputation?"
Bani Hashemi also highlighted that such punishments go against international human rights conventions, noting, “All punishments that involve torture, including amputation, are considered illegal under international law. This has no place in modern justice systems.”
The practice of amputation as punishment in Iran continues despite mounting criticism from the United Nations, Amnesty International, and other human rights organizations. In July, the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights organization reported that four prisoners at Urmia Central Prison were at risk of amputation for theft. The group has documented similar cases, including a man who had his fingers amputated in February for stealing five sheep.
Iranian civil society organizations report that between January 1, 2000, and September 24, 2020, at least 237 individuals, primarily from impoverished backgrounds, have received amputation sentences in Iran, with at least 129 of those sentences being carried out.
The continued implementation of amputation sentences in Iran occurs despite the country being a member of the United Nations and having signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
According to Article 7 of this covenant, “no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
As Iranian media reported, one student interrupted Pezeshkian at the beginning of his speech, protesting the lack of opportunity for students to voice their opinions. “A student doesn’t disrupt the event—let me finish my speech, and we’ll see what happens next,” Pezeshkian responded, offering to leave if the protests continued. He then asked the students to appoint a representative to speak on their behalf.
The president stepped down from the podium to listen to a student protester from the Basij, a hardline paramilitary organization. The student called for Pezeshkian to participate in a December 7 revolutionary ceremony in the university. However, moments after Pezeshkian resumed his speech, the session was disrupted again, this time by a university employee, escalating the tension.
“You, who can’t maintain order, mean we still haven’t reached the understanding to follow the rules,” Pezeshkian said to the employee, criticizing his behavior. He added, “If university staff have something to say, hold a meeting for them, and we’ll talk together.”
Two years ago, during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, Iranian universities became hubs of unrest, with students openly protesting against the government, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Pezeshkian’s speech, which was broadcast live on state television, was a reminder of the divide between the government and the student body.
Despite the mounting frustration, Pezeshkian continued his speech, stressing, "Why should we fight? Whether left or right, religious or non-religious, bring a valid argument, and we’ll accept it.”
Notably absent from Pezeshkian’s speech was any mention of the ongoing crackdown on academic freedom. In recent weeks, the government has expelled more students for participating in protests, intensifying the scrutiny on Iran’s higher education system. While Pezeshkian previously criticized such dismissals, his silence on the matter at the University of Tehran was significant.
In an indirect response to earlier calls for reinstating expelled students during Pezeshkian campaign, Mostafa Rostami, the Supreme Leader’s representative in universities, made clear that such efforts would not be tolerated. Following his remarks, two more students were officially banned from continuing their education, reinforcing the control of security bodies over universities.
The financial challenges facing Iran’s higher education sector also loomed large. Iran’s Science Minister, Hossein Simayi Sarraf, underscored the situation during the same event, stating, “The total budget for our universities and educational centers is less than the budget for a single top university in the world.” Sarraf emphasized that the education budget has halved in foreign currency terms since 2011, warning of an academic exodus as students and professors seek better opportunities abroad.
Pezeshkian, however, focused on the need for Iranian universities to generate their own income, sidestepping Sarraf’s concerns. "Abroad, universities either receive government funding or generate their own income. If we want to solve our problems, university professors must help us address societal issues,” Pezeshkian said, suggesting that Iranian universities adopt similar financial strategies.
Ali Shirazi, an Iranian affairs expert, told Iran International that Pezeshkian’s remarks revealed a divide between him and the science minister. “When the science minister talks about the budget shortage, Pezeshkian counters by saying universities, like those abroad, must generate their own income,” Shirazi explained. “He doesn’t acknowledge the vast differences between the situation in Iran and universities in other countries.”
Iran’s university crisis is compounded by controversial policies, such as admitting members of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) into Iranian universities without entrance exams. Student activists have objected, vowing to resist the militarization of academic institutions.
Alex Vatanka, founding Director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute, appeared on this week's Eye for Iran.
What the Islamic government in Tehran fears most is an attack on its nuclear infrastructure - its main accomplishment during 45 years of rule - Vatanka said.
The Iranian government is likely pressuring the American administration to rein in Israeli actions to prevent any attack on their nuclear sites, following the October 1 Iranian missile barrage, he said.
CNN is reporting that Iran is nervous and has engaged in diplomatic efforts with Mideast countries to try and reduce the magnitude of Israel's response to its ballistic missile attack earlier this month.
On Friday, Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian met with Russia's Vladmir Putin, who called for a new 'world order' of Russian allies. Last week, Iran met with Saudi's Foreign Minister. Israeli's Channel 12 news reported that the United States and Arab nations were conducting secret backchannel negotiations with Iran aimed at reaching a comprehensive regional ceasefire. The US denies those claims.
CNN cited sources familiar with the matter, alleged that Tehran is anxious about whether the US can convince Israel to reduce the scale of their response.
This week a group of more than three dozen lawmakers in Iran have called for the country to pursue nuclear weapons. The unprecedented openness of Iranian officials and media discussing the possibility of a nuclear bomb—something unthinkable just a few years ago.
This all goes back to Iran's fear and growing uncertainty, Vatanka told the Eye for Iran Podcast.
"It indicates one important fear that the regime has as Iran is waiting to see what Israel will do in terms of its retaliation," said Vatanka.
"The message is to the United States: If you don't stop Israel, we're going to weaponize. Don't push us. And by pushing us means don't target our nuclear facilities. Remember, this is a nuclear program, it's about a quarter century old. It's about billions of dollars in investment," he added.
The Iranians view Israel as being dependent on the United States, according to Vatanka.
The question now...will Israel heed to calls from the Biden administration, which is urging Israel to take a 'proportionate' response? The US, and Iran's oil-rich Arab neighbors, are also advising Israel not to strike Iran's nuclear and oil facilities.
Just how Israel's government will react - especially in light of reports of tensions between Biden and Netanyahu surface, is yet to be determined. For the first time in two months, Biden and Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday in a phone conversation that focused on Israel’s plans to retaliate against Iran.
"I have no way of knowing what Netanyahu is going to do. They are going for the kill, if you will. They're trying to take out all their big enemies out there, what is Hamas, Hezbollah, and the mothership in Iran. Can Israel do this all on its own, alone?" asked Vatanka.
What capabilities does Hezbollah have left?
Iran's potential fears compounded by the fact that Iran's crown jewel of proxies, Hezbollah, has been significantly weakened by Israel. It's leader Hassan Nasrallah and anyone who tried to replace him were assassinated by Israel, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Last month, a series of pager and walkie-talkie explosions allegedly belonging to Hezbollah operatives set off simultaneously in Lebanon in an unprecedented attack of communications devices.
With Iran losing its biggest deterrence factor, Vatanka, said Iran can no longer hide, after orchestrating a multi-front campaign against Israeli - without sacrificing themselves.
He said Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, on one hand says he doesn't want war with Israel, but also refuses to give up and empowers groups like Hamas and Hezbollah to continue striking Israel, while calling for the destruction of the Jewish State.
"That is when you, as the cliche goes, want to fight Israel to the last Arab," said Vatanka.
But Israel is now poised to take the fight onto Iranian soil, telling the authorities in power that they can no longer conceal themselves behind "disposable" Arab proxies.
To find out more on where this is all headed as the Mideast spirals out of control, watch the full episode of Eye for Iran on YouTube, or listen on Castbox, Spotify, Apple or Amazon.