The Deputy Minister of Education announced that by the beginning of this academic year, half of the "clay schools" have been replaced with "standard" schools, but 700 of these schools remain in the country. Morteza Reisi stated on Saturday, October 23, in an interview with ILNA news agency, that a "special budget" has been allocated since last year to eliminate "clay schools." According to Mr. Reisi, these schools are mostly located in Iran's border provinces, with Sistan and Baluchestan having the highest number of "clay classrooms" in 2014. He also mentioned that to replace the remaining 700 "clay schools" with "standard" schools, a budget of 300 billion tomans is needed. On October 27, Mr. Reisi had also stated that about 30% of schools in Iran need reconstruction and reinforcement, requiring approximately 10 trillion tomans in funding. Previous reports have highlighted the condition of "clay schools" in Sistan and Baluchestan, South Khorasan, and North Khorasan provinces. For instance, Alireza Rashaki, the director of school renovation and equipment in Sistan and Baluchestan, announced in April that 33% of schools in this province are "dilapidated." Ali Naqi Yazdanpanah, the director of the Office of Less Developed Regions at the Ministry of Education, had also stated last year that "clay schools" are more dangerous than "tent schools" as they can collapse with the slightest earthquake. Mr. Yazdanpanah also reported that besides "clay schools," there are 800 tent schools and 42 "tent classrooms" in Iran. Standardizing the heating system in schools was also addressed by the Deputy Minister of Education, who announced that by the end of 2015, over 107,000 classrooms will no longer use gas and oil heaters, and their heating systems will be "standardized." He also promised that the heating systems of 50,000 classrooms will be standardized this year. This official from the Ministry of Education had stated in March of last year that there are 100,000 classrooms in Iran with oil heaters. In recent years, fires caused by oil heaters in schools have resulted in injuries to students. For example, on December 6, 2012, a fire from an oil heater in a school in Shinabad, Piranshahr, West Azerbaijan province, severely burned 14 students.
Deputy Minister of Education: 700 Clay Schools Still Operating in the Country
The Iranian Deputy Minister of Education reported that while half of the clay schools have been replaced with standard schools, 700 still remain, primarily in border provinces. A budget of 300 billion tomans is needed for their replacement, highlighting ongoing challenges in the education infrastructure. This situation is critical as it affects the safety and quality of education for many students in vulnerable areas.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The Deputy Minister of Education announced that while half of the clay schools in Iran have been replaced, 700 remain, primarily in border provinces. A budget of 300 billion tomans is required to replace these schools, emphasizing ongoing issues in educational infrastructure.
- 700 clay schools still operate in Iran, mainly in border provinces.
- A budget of 300 billion tomans is needed for their replacement.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Clay schools are makeshift educational facilities that pose safety risks, particularly in earthquake-prone areas. The Iranian government has been under pressure to improve educational infrastructure.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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