50% of Schools in Tehran are Dilapidated; 'The Share of Educational Infrastructure in the 2018 Budget has Decreased'

A member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly criticized the 'dilapidation of 50% of schools' in the metropolis of Tehran, pointing out the 'decrease in the share of educational infrastructure in the 2018 budget.' Farideh Olad Qobad stated in an interview with the House of the Nation, the news agency of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, on Sunday, February 20, that this issue, given that 50% of schools in this city are in dilapidated areas, has 'financial and human consequences.' She called for the allocation of an 'independent budget line for dilapidated areas' commensurate with the conditions of the metropolis of Tehran, describing dilapidated areas and air pollution as two 'fundamental challenges of the capital.' Previously, following an earthquake in Kermanshah province that completely destroyed 80 schools, Mohammad Bat'haei, the Minister of Education, reported that one-third of schools in Iran are not safe. Mr. Bat'haei deemed the funds allocated each year in the budget bill for school reconstruction as insufficient and expressed hope that these schools would be renovated in the sixth development plan. Earlier, Dariush Varnasari, the director general of school renovation in Tehran province, had stated on December 19 to the Tasnim news agency that there are over a thousand educational spaces in Tehran province that do not have the necessary safety for students. He pointed out that '900 billion tomans are needed for the demolition and reconstruction of dilapidated schools in Tehran,' adding that about 400 billion tomans are also needed for the reinforcement of schools, totaling 1,300 billion tomans required for the dilapidated schools of the capital. This government official mentioned that the most dilapidated schools are located in the southern outskirts of the city, Shahr-e Rey, central areas, and regions 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 19. He added that while there are dilapidated schools in other areas, their numbers are much lower. According to the Mehr news agency, the director of education in Tehran city stated on December 12 that the financial estimate for the reconstruction and renovation of each school is about 2 to 3 billion tomans. He criticized the lack of sufficient budget allocation, stating that the Tehran City Council, the government, and all agencies responsible for the reconstruction of dilapidated schools must assist. According to Mehr, this government official had previously stated that 'the dilapidated schools of Tehran would be destroyed even by a storm.' Following the recent earthquake in Tehran, Mohammad Hossein Maqimi, the governor of Tehran, also announced the unsatisfactory nature of 'urban infrastructure' in some counties of Tehran province, urging officials to take 'urgent action' for the reconstruction of dilapidated areas in these regions.