A Media Account of Increasing Poverty and Employment Among High School Students

One of Iran's media outlets published a piece that was deleted shortly after publication without any explanation, stating that the intensification of poverty in Iran has led a significant number of high school students to enter the labor market, often forcing them to drop out of school. The website 'Tejarat News' emphasized in its report that 'working students are another sign of poverty in society,' and alongside this issue, 'many students cannot afford to buy stationery and educational supplies.' According to Tejarat News, another problem currently facing the education sector, particularly in public schools at the secondary level, is the absence of students from classrooms. The report highlighted that 'most of these students are employed.' In examining the causes of this phenomenon, it stated that 'they cut into their class hours to help support their families' living expenses.' An education expert told this media outlet: 'This issue is not due to parents' unwillingness but because living costs have risen so much that there is no room left for increasing the share of education in the household budget.' Fereshteh Mirzaei identified the neglect of educational equity and free education as factors sacrificing children's education to economic hardships and poverty. Meanwhile, the Tasnim news agency, affiliated with security institutions, also reported on December 14, quoting the Secretary-General of the Cooperative House, stating: 'There is a significant relationship between poverty and dropping out of school.' Ali-Hossein Shahriyar noted that there were 929,000 dropouts from various educational levels last year, stating: 'Last year, those aged 15 to 17 had the highest dropout rates.' The Secretary-General of the Cooperative House emphasized that poor families are often unable to cover their children's educational expenses. According to Shahriyar, in poor families, children are often forced to work to help meet family expenses and drop out of school. Reports indicate that the trend of dropping out of school and remaining out of education in Iran has raised concerns among social and even economic activists. Experts and analysts believe that the dropout trend ultimately leads to increased social and economic inequality, reinforcing the cycle of poverty. Economists argue that an uneducated and unskilled workforce is a barrier to economic growth and development in the country. Alongside this, social activists are warning about the prevailing conditions in the country, believing that dropping out of school will exacerbate social issues such as increased crime, addiction, and social disorder. In this context, the Shargh newspaper reported in its October 23, 2023 issue: 'Education has lost its economic function. Until 20 or even 10 years ago, education was the best opportunity for advancement and mobility between social classes, but now an individual cannot achieve class mobility through higher education.' This newspaper emphasized: 'Students consider dropping out and entering the labor market as a win for themselves and view studying and the hours spent in class as a loss.'