Crisis of Academic Decline in Iran and 'Red Status' of Student Averages; Minister of Education: Prayer is the Most Important Element

Following reports of a crisis in academic decline in Iran and a warning from an expert about the 'red status' of student averages, the Minister of Education stated, 'We have trained 20,000 muezzins.' The news website Khabar Online reported on Sunday, January 7, citing Mazaher Goudarzi, an expert, that 'students' motivation to study has decreased' and that 'education for future success' has become limited to 'a specific class' that 'does not need it financially.' According to Goudarzi, the average GPA of students in experimental, mathematical, human sciences, and religious studies is around 8 or 11 and has been declining compared to previous years. The comparison of average GPAs across different fields from 1398 to 1402 shows that 'the map of GPA status in provinces largely aligns with the poverty map of the country,' according to sociologist Reza Omidi. Additionally, Mohammad Reza Niknejad, an education expert, emphasized that 'economic issues have severely harmed education,' stating that 'when a child's stomach is hungry, they no longer think about education and study.' Meanwhile, Reza Morad Sahraei, the Minister of Education, emphasized on January 7 that 'prayer is the most important element in education.' According to Khabar Online, Sahraei also added that 'we will never neglect the promotion of the prayer obligation' and 'we have trained 20,000 muezzins across the country' who 'perform the call to prayer live.' The Minister of Education stated that 'preparations for recruiting 19,000 educational instructors' have been made and 'over 1.6 million square meters of prayer rugs' have been provided for schools. This government official claimed that young people and adolescents have been 'abandoned for hours' in cyberspace, stating that this issue requires 'management' and called the 'Takhalluf Festival' the 'best educational program' of the Ministry of Education. Sahraei mentioned the 'expansion of the plan to create 9,000 mosques' as one of the 'most important actions of the Ministry of Education' and stated that 'currently, 7,280 prayer rooms are under construction in schools and educational centers.' The statements of the Islamic Republic's Minister of Education come as reports from the Statistical Center of Iran indicate that nearly 930,000 students dropped out in the 1402-1401 school year across three levels: elementary, middle school, and high school.