Collusion Between Schools and Ministry Inspectors to Collect Fees from Parents

A Tehran-based newspaper has reported that the collection of fees from parents in public schools is being carried out in collaboration with schools and education inspectors. Some regional inspectors have told schools, 'You collect money from parents, and we will tell parents we are following up!' The newspaper Etemad emphasized that 'the education department of each region and the ministry are aware of this issue, but due to budget shortfalls, they cannot do anything.' Etemad also quoted a first-grade teacher stating, 'Every year, the principal asks us to collect fees under the guise of helping the school throughout the year, as the school is struggling even for its basic expenses.' This teacher confirmed the collusion between inspectors and schools, saying, 'Several times, an inspector from the regional office came to our school and said parents are complaining about the costs, but because we also do not have a budget to give to the school, you should collect the costs from parents, and we will tell parents we are following up.' The pressure on families to pay fees in public schools has entered a new phase, as recent media reports indicated that 'a mother who could not afford the registration fee for her child in a public school in Qods city was forced to clean all the classrooms.' Etemad confirmed this issue, stating that many schools in Tehran this year do not even have a janitor, and the principal is forced to hire workers from outside by paying costs. The report emphasized, 'Of course, there are also principals who exploit parents' financial hardships and force them to clean the school.' The newspaper Shargh reported on October 17 that 'teachers announced that parents of students who cannot pay fees to public schools perform various tasks in exchange for money. This is an agreement between the principal and the parents.' Teachers emphasized that 'some families coordinate with the association and the school principal to clean during off-shift hours or class teaching hours.' The government news agency Tasnim also confirmed this bitter occurrence in Iranian schools, stating that the cleaning of schools has fallen on underprivileged parents, and Ali Farhadi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, said, 'Public schools are facing a shortage of 40,000 janitors and service workers.' Tasnim pointed out other aspects of the situation in the country's education system, stating that some parents must not only clean schools but also purchase cleaning supplies and consumables. Despite numerous reports on this issue and the widespread nature of this humiliating behavior by public schools, Alireza Kazemi, the Minister of Education, claimed, 'Such a case has only occurred in one school,' and not to the extent that has been raised on social media. The 'punitive' approach to schools; the Organization for Trade and Commerce: Education does not cooperate. An 800 billion tomans fine for 'violating' private schools; Education: The term overpricing is not appropriate. The teachers' union in Fars; thousands of children have dropped out of school. A government official's reaction to the 'monetization' of education for foreign students; the costs for foreigners are similar to those of Iranians. Unveiling a directive for collecting fees from foreign students; the expansion of class discrimination continues. Ongoing criticism of the million-toman fees of private schools; the newspaper Ham-Mihan: Officials' children do not attend public schools.