Recurring Trend of 'Punishing Students' in the Educational System of the Islamic Republic; Arrest of a School Principal in Bushehr Province

The news agency 'Mizan', affiliated with the judiciary of the Islamic Republic, reported on Wednesday the arrest of the principal of the Alborz private elementary school located in the Khormuj district of Bushehr province due to 'physical violence against students.' On Tuesday, one of the Persian-language networks abroad, BBC Persian, published images of the physical punishment of students at a private school in Khormuj, which sparked widespread reactions. It is reported that this incident occurred in November of this year. According to an informed source, similar behaviors had previously occurred by the educational staff of this private school, which had not resulted in any action despite follow-ups and complaints. Following the publication of these images on social media, Mahdi Mehrangiz, the Chief Justice of Bushehr province, announced the arrest of the principal of this institution. He told the 'Mizan' news agency, 'Unfortunately, images of the physical violence of the institution's manager against the students of the Alborz private elementary school in Khormuj, Bushehr province have been published, and accordingly, an order was issued for the arrest of the individual who committed physical violence against the students, and the manager has now been arrested.' Mehrangiz promised that after initial investigations and interrogations, this individual would be dealt with 'decisively and severely' to serve as a 'lesson' for others. Sina Gholandari, a local journalist from Lorestan province, recently shared a video on social media X, reporting on the 'lacerated liver' of a student from Kouhdasht due to punishment by his teacher. The news site 'Rokna' also reported last month that a school vice-principal, insisting on expelling a first-grade student from a school in Varamin, caused the child to fall into a coma and be hospitalized for a long time. Saba Alaleh, a clinical psychologist, told Voice of America that the effects of physical punishments are 'long-lasting and enduring.' According to this psychologist, physical punishment can increase disgust and hatred in a child towards education and lead to school dropout, which directly affects the child's educational conditions and also fosters aggression among students. Alaleh stated that children who experience violence and humiliation in educational environments often become 'disconnected from the normal cycle of life' or turn into 'submissive' individuals, and if not treated, this can continue throughout their lives or lead to them becoming 'rebellious and defiant' due to repressed anger, pushing them towards 'delinquent and high-risk' groups and turning them into 'antisocial' personalities. Physical punishment and humiliation of students in the educational system of the Islamic Republic has a history. Although the Ministry of Education has repeatedly stated, 'Our red line is the physical punishment of students,' and although according to Article 81 of the new school executive regulations approved in 1400, physical punishment of students and misconduct towards them is prohibited for any reason and under any circumstances, reports of student punishment by principals and teachers in Iran have been repeatedly documented. All students in schools in poor neighborhoods are simultaneously child laborers; part of the program on the last page. Video attributed to the physical punishment of students in Khamenei School in Rasht. Severe physical punishment of an elementary student by the school principal in Konarak. Nationwide gathering of students' families in front of the Ministry of Education buildings. Statement from cultural and artistic figures regarding the serial poisoning of students; a reminder of the acid attacks in Isfahan. Education in a danger zone; ineffective content, lack of motivation among students. Goodbye school; 930,000 students dropped out last school year. The Minister of Education's advisor: Clerics are completely 'spontaneous' and 'jihadist' in schools. The decline of education in Iran; severe academic decline among students.