A Newspaper Exposes: Student Teachers Forced to Teach for an Hourly Wage of 18,000 Tomans

A conservative newspaper reported on the "game" played by the Ministry of Education with students and student teachers, describing this "game" as a "win-win" for the Ministry of Education and a "lose-lose" for others, as student teachers are forced to work without adequate training for an hourly wage of 15,000 to 18,000 tomans. The Farhikhtegan newspaper stated in its report that primary student teachers are compelled to go to their places of service, and if they refuse, they face administrative violations, dismissal, and threats. The report noted that discussions with student teachers in various provinces indicate that they are not mentally, educationally, or even physically and familially prepared to face this challenge. The report also mentioned that student teachers are forced to teach after three semesters of training. It specifically emphasized that "due to inconsistencies, the training of students that should have occurred during service has been somewhat suspended. Now, this is happening at a low quality. Unfortunately, it does not enrich the children as it should." According to this report, the payment criterion for these individuals is based on a diploma, calculated hourly between 15,000 to 18,000 tomans. The Farhikhtegan newspaper, affiliated with Azad University, explored other dimensions of this situation, stating that this year's salary for student teachers has been set by the Ministry of Education at "approximately 7 million and 900 thousand tomans," from which about 20% is deducted for commuting students and 45% for students from rural areas, leaving rural students with just over three million tomans at best. The report described this process as a game initiated by the Teacher Training University and the Ministry of Education, stating that it is a win-win for them and a lose-lose for the student teachers. One student from Ahvaz commented on the payment method for student teachers, saying, "They pay the salary at the end of the year or every few months, and it is a win-win for the university and the Ministry of Education." Educational problems in Iran began at the start of October with a lack of teachers for over 23,000 classrooms. The crisis, as reported by Farhikhtegan, shows that the Ministry of Education has brought student teachers into the educational system with the lowest possible compensation to address part of this shortage. However, this action has not significantly impacted the teacher shortage. Alongside this issue, the discussion of salary payments has added to previous problems. In this regard, a news agency reported on November 7 that several thousand teachers in the Ministry of Education have not received a single rial in salary since October. According to the Tasnim news agency, affiliated with security institutions, service-purchased teachers confirmed this news, but the Ministry's planning deputy responded by saying, "The salary of this group of teachers is not monthly and is based on our performance; that is, funding must first be allocated by the Planning and Budget Organization to the Ministry of Education, and then it will be provided to companies and teachers!" The crisis in the Ministry of Education comes as it seems that Reza Morad Sahraei is currently focusing his energy on securing Ali Khamenei's opinions in the education sector rather than finding a way out of this situation, as he recently announced a new approach for the Ministry regarding the segregation and gender changes in textbooks. The educational system in Iran has faced many challenges in recent months, while educators have been pursuing their professional demands for years and have raised their voices through protests in recent years. Nevertheless, the officials of the Islamic Republic, instead of solving the livelihood issues and professional demands of teachers, are trying to enrich the ideological foundations of the educational system in the Islamic Republic by changing textbook content and employing religious forces in collaboration with seminaries. These foundations have, in practice, nurtured new generations over the past four decades who have chosen their lifestyles and beliefs in a way that contradicts the impositions of the Islamic Republic. This issue has kept the officials of the Islamic Republic occupied for four decades, trying to make the educational system "more Islamic." The Minister of Education of the Islamic Republic announced the gender segregation of textbooks. The overturning of a fuel vehicle in the absence of a school service has left one student in a "critical" condition, which the Ministry of Education denied. Twenty percent of schools in Iran are dilapidated. The continuation of "serial poisoning" has led to the illness of female students in Ahvaz after "inhaling" gas; the governorate stated: "It is a natural occurrence." A media outlet in Iran reported on the "inspection" of female students with electronic equipment. Top students become "teachers."