Education Official: 'We Have Been Instructed' to Consider 'Gender Identity' in Curriculum

A senior official from the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Education has announced a 'directive' to implement gender changes in school textbooks. According to the state news agency ISNA, Ali Latifi, head of the Curriculum Planning Organization, stated: 'We have been instructed' to pay attention to the 'gender identity' of students in the curriculum. He further claimed that this exercise of power to make content changes in student textbooks 'does not mean gender segregation in textbooks at all.' Youssef Noury, the Minister of Education, had previously stated on May 15, 2022, that 'non-applicable' content would be removed from textbooks for 'all educational levels' based on a directive from Ali Khamenei. On September 1 of the same year, he reiterated that the content of '200 textbooks' for students from the first grade to the twelfth grade would be changed by order of the Supreme Leader. The head of the Curriculum Planning Organization also claimed that the goal of implementing 'gender identity' changes in textbooks is to establish 'balance in content.' Meanwhile, in recent years, in line with government 'reforms' in school curricula and the simultaneous rise of nationwide protests spreading to schools, the Islamic Republic has been promoting a culture of what it calls 'sacrifice and martyrdom,' an action that some experts believe could divert education from its main path. Officials of the Islamic Republic generally use terms like 'sacrifice' and 'martyrdom' in connection with the activities of military-ideological organizations such as the Revolutionary Guards or individuals like Qassem Soleimani, a commander of the Quds Force. In this context, in the 'Soldier Teacher' directive approved by the Islamic Republic's cabinet on May 29, it was noted that priority in recruiting soldier teachers would be given to 'active Basij members and Basij members with supplementary cards,' referencing a bilateral agreement between the Revolutionary Guards and the Ministry of Education on May 24. According to Voice of America, based on this directive, the identification, organization, and recruitment of Basij members as 'soldier teachers' will be conducted under the direct supervision of the provincial Revolutionary Guards, and the Ministry of Education will not be the sole decision-maker. Changes in textbook content in Iran; the 'system' is seeking to promote 'martyrdom.' A newspaper's revelation; forcing 'student teachers' to teach for an hourly wage of 18,000 tomans. The Minister of Education of the Islamic Republic announced the gender segregation of textbooks. A new crisis in education; several thousand teachers have not received their salaries since the beginning of the school year. Strengthening ideology in education; prayer time has become mandatory in all schools in Iran. The content of 56 textbook titles has changed; in seven years, the number of dropouts has doubled. The Revolutionary Guards are poised to seize the educational system with 'soldier teachers'; Basij members are prioritized for recruitment as teachers.