1.5 Million Children on the Brink of Dropping Out; 14 Million Children Without Adequate Food

A researcher from the Parliament Research Center has expressed concern over the situation of children in Iran, stating that 1.5 million children are on the verge of dropping out of school, and 14 million children live in households that cannot provide a minimum food basket. According to a video shared on media and social networks, Hadi Mousavi-Nik mentioned that, based on the Ministry of Education statistics, there are about 450,000 out-of-school children, with approximately 1.5 million children at risk of dropping out. Mousavi-Nik noted that only 12% of students who scored below 3,000 in the entrance exam came from public schools, highlighting educational discrimination. The trend of student dropouts in Iran has accelerated, and experts are warning about its consequences. A former Minister of Education also stated on September 9 of this year, citing statistics from the Parliament Research Center, that the number of out-of-school children in the country is 930,000, indicating that these individuals will form the 'illiterates of the future.' Statistics show that 70% of dropouts come from the lowest income quintiles, which are under the most severe economic pressures. Importantly, the reason for children dropping out of school and the risk of an additional 1.5 million in this group is linked to the lack of adequate food for 14 million children. These groups, mainly workers and families supported by welfare organizations, earn between 3 million to 8 million tomans, while various media outlets have reported that the minimum cost for a suitable food basket for a household exceeds 20 million tomans. The news agency 'Tasnim' reported on November 5 that workers, due to their inability to secure home ownership, are turning to rental housing, with 70-80% of a worker's salary going towards housing, preventing them from meeting other essential needs such as food, healthcare, clothing, and education. The dropout rate in border and less developed areas is significantly higher than the national average. In this context, Hossein Ali Mirabadi, the former director-general of education in Sistan and Baluchestan, stated last August that about 15% of the country's dropout statistics are related to Sistan and Baluchestan province. In terms of livelihood, provinces like Sistan and Baluchestan are in a much worse situation, with a member of the provincial representatives stating in April this year that 'the staple food of the people in the province is bread, and unfortunately, they consume water, tomato paste, and bread as food, indicating that living conditions in the province have become extremely difficult.'