Iran's Education Ministry: No Ambiguity in Laws Against Corporal Punishment

The Director General of Complaints Handling at the Iranian Ministry of Education deemed corporal punishment of students in schools as "undesirable" and noted that "various factors" contribute to such incidents, stating that these punishments are often carried out "out of concern and care for the students' future." Seyed Rahim Mirshah Valad, the Director General of Complaints Handling at the Ministry of Education, said in an interview with the Mashregh website on December 4: "Various factors lead to such actions by teachers; if students complete their assignments well, arrive on time to class, and do not disrupt the class, all these affect the teacher's response." He added that some of these incidents occur "suddenly," and the specific psychological state of both the teacher and the student can lead to such events, which are typically motivated by concern for the student's future. Despite the prohibition of corporal punishment in Iranian schools, reports of serious consequences for several children due to physical punishment have emerged in recent years. Last week, Iranian media reported that a 15-year-old high school student in Tehran's District 9 was hospitalized due to "severe corporal punishment." According to the Mashregh website, the teacher "kicked the student's genitals and insulted him, throwing him out of the classroom, causing the student's chest to hit the ground hard." The Etemad newspaper previously reported that on November 25, a 9-year-old student in Mirjaveh, Sistan and Baluchestan province, was hospitalized "for the umpteenth time" due to lashings from his teacher. This teacher reportedly beat the student with a "gas cylinder hose" on the arm, causing his veins to rupture and become infected. The state news agency IRNA also reported on Wednesday, October 8, that the principal of a boys' elementary school in Bandar Abbas punished all fifth-grade students using a polyvinyl chloride pipe. The Director General of Evaluation and Complaints Handling at the Ministry of Education stated that while he finds corporal punishment of students "undesirable," there are instances where teachers are also assaulted by students, with numerous examples of this occurring. Iranian media reported on December 1 that Mohsen Khoshkhashi, a physics teacher at Hafeziyeh High School in Boroujerd, was killed by a "knife attack" from a student. Mr. Mirshah Valad continued by stating, "No one authorizes educational staff to carry out punishments, and every incident that has occurred has been dealt with legally; the offending teacher has been referred to the administrative violations committee, and a verdict has been issued commensurate with the crime." He added, "If the parents of students also play their role correctly, these incidents will not happen, meaning they should pay attention to their children's lessons and follow up on their educational issues." Mr. Mirshah Valad also stated that there is no ambiguity in the laws regarding the prohibition of corporal punishment of students. The Administrative Justice Court recently rejected a request to annul the executive regulation prohibiting corporal punishment in Iranian schools. As reported by Iranian media, a person had previously stated in a petition to the Administrative Justice Court that corporal punishment is permissible in Islamic law for the purpose of discipline and is even recommended for growth. This petition was ultimately rejected by the specialized research and cultural committee of the Administrative Justice Court.