Air Pollution: A New Challenge for Education; 40% of Study Time Lost Due to Weather Conditions

A newspaper close to the conservative faction believes that 40% of study time in Iran is lost due to air pollution and weather conditions, and the Ministry of Education's 'double standards' have resulted in nothing but school closures. The newspaper 'Javan', affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, wrote in its latest issue: Recently, the Ministry of Education announced that no schools would be closed this year due to air pollution, but less than a week after this announcement, schools in various provinces were either closed or shifted to virtual classes due to worsening air pollution. According to this newspaper, this closure has become a recurring issue over the past 10 years, starting every year in November and continuing until the end of Esfand (March). Accordingly, it has been stated that in primary education, according to the 'National Curriculum Document', 925 hours of education should be achieved during the academic year, but a report from the Educational Research Institute shows that only 576 hours have been achieved, meaning a loss of about 40% of educational time. This newspaper, noting the impossibility of holding 'remedial classes', wrote that the school calendar and the start and end of the academic year should be taken out of the 'current rigidity' and placed in the hands of educational councils in provinces, cities, and regions so that they can approve their educational calendar based on weather conditions, temperature, and other local variables. The closure of schools due to air pollution comes while on November 21, Minister of Education Reza Morad Sahraei stated that a directive would be issued so that 'under no circumstances' would classes be canceled during times when schools went virtual due to air pollution. Former Minister of Education Youssef Noori also requested a reconsideration of the air pollution indices considered for school closures on February 23, 2023, justifying this request by saying, 'I have seen the air pollution indices worldwide, and nowhere do schools close until the air pollution index reaches 200.' This insistence by current and former education ministers on not closing schools during air pollution conditions comes while global standards say that only when the air is clean (index 0 to 50) can children go outside unsupervised. According to these standards, even in acceptable air (50 to 100), it is recommended that children stay at home due to their sensitivity and the harmful effects of air pollution. Iranian emergency bases were put on alert on Tuesday, November 14, following the intensification of air pollution in Tehran and four other major cities. In this regard, environmental expert Nasser Karami told Voice of America that the Islamic Republic has abandoned the air pollution issue. The intensification of air pollution in five major cities in Iran; environmental experts say that the health of the people is not a concern for the government. Experts talk about the 'disasters' of Iran's environment; however, Ebrahim Raisi accuses 'developed countries'. A storm and dust in Sistan and Baluchestan sent 800 people to hospitals and treatment centers. Efforts for cleaner air; NASA monitors air pollution in major cities.