Minister of Education Compares School Fees to 'Buying Luxury Cars'

After the Minister of Education of the Islamic Republic defended the high tuition fees of schools and the output of 'public schools' compared to 'non-public schools', he faced severe criticism from domestic media and some social media users. The newspaper 'Jomhouri Eslami', published in Tehran and close to the traditional clerics ruling Iran, wrote in its issue on Saturday, September 2, that the recent remarks of the Minister of Education of Ebrahim Raisi's government have caused 'astonishment and surprise' among many education experts and educators. This media outlet, which is funded by public budget, stated that the Minister's comments are 'concerning and unacceptable', adding: 'What scientific, rational, and religious justification is there for comparing schools to “car dealerships” and likening the country's education system and enrollment in schools to “buying a luxury car” and recommending “paying more money” for better education?' Reza Morad Sahraei, the Minister of Education of the thirteenth government of the Islamic Republic, stated during a government television program, in defense of 'non-profit schools' and their results compared to 'public schools': 'I have examined the services that some of these schools have provided, which our universities have not; if you want to buy a higher model car, you have to pay more money!!' The so-called 'non-profit schools' in Iran are a collection of schools and educational complexes that operate directly by collecting tuition from students without government funding. In recent years, the publication of statistics on the 'acceptance rate in the university entrance exam' of individuals educated in non-profit and non-governmental schools compared to public schools, which have a significant percentage, has increased criticism of the country's educational system. A user in this regard, referring to the controversial remarks of the Minister of Education, posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) along with a chart of acceptance rates, stating: 'Of course, the incompetent minister compares education to a luxury car.' The Jomhouri Eslami newspaper, in another part of its published article, considered the 'unreserved expression' of this 'discriminatory and instrumental' viewpoint towards the education and upbringing of students to be 'more regrettable', especially at a time when in many regions of the country, many children have dropped out of education due to 'inflation, rising prices, and economic problems' and have become child laborers. Criticism of the educational management of schools in the country comes at a time when Hossein Davood Al-Mousavi, the head of the selection core of the Ministry of Education, also stated on September 1 that all employees of this ministry, including those in non-public schools, must pass through the 'ideological and political selection' stage. Contradictions in the statements of officials of the Ministry of Science: from claims of 'expelled professors participating in riots' to expelled individuals 'not filing complaints'. The policy of 'homogenizing the higher education body' in the Islamic Republic; 157 professors have been removed in the past 18 years.