Reza Morad Sahraei Becomes New Minister of Education of the Islamic Republic

Members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly voted to grant confidence to Reza Morad Sahraei as the "Minister of Education" after discussions both in favor and against him, in the absence of Ibrahim Raisi, the President of the Islamic Republic. Reza Morad Sahraei had been appointed as the "President of Farhangian University" since May 2022, and following the resignation of Youssef Noori, the former Minister of Education, he was appointed as the "Acting Minister of Education" by Ibrahim Raisi. In today’s Assembly session, the proposed Minister of Education received 167 votes in favor, 86 against, 14 abstentions, and 2 invalid votes, successfully securing the confidence of the representatives. The absence of Ibrahim Raisi at the vote of confidence session was a notable aspect of this meeting. Ahmad Nadri, a member of the Assembly's board, stated to the state news agency ISNA that Raisi's absence was due to "decisions made in the government" and the President's personal decision to further review the "seventh program." Farhad Bashiri, a member of the Education Commission of the Assembly, had previously stated that the reason for Youssef Noori's resignation was related to the "ranking of teachers" and "fundamental issues" in the areas of "implementation" and "financing". The non-payment of salaries to a large number of teachers during the New Year was one of the controversial issues in the early days of the year, which also led to protests. Prior to the appointment of Reza Morad Sahraei, who has a background as the head of security at Allameh Tabatabai University, his appointment as the Acting Minister of Education faced widespread reactions. The official channel of the Cultural Teachers' Association had identified Reza Morad Sahraei as responsible for identifying and expelling professors "not aligned with the system" at Allameh Tabatabai University. The employment of security personnel in managerial positions has become a common trend in the Islamic Republic over the years. Previously, a security perspective on the problems of educators, including teachers' criticisms of Youssef Noori, the dismissed Minister of Education, was noted. Changes in educational content began at the request of Ali Khamenei: participation of 7,000 people to revise the content of 1,500 educational programs. Hijab in girls' schools; the "Muharramization" project for girls' schools is on the agenda. After the arrest of three teachers from Gilan, a teacher rights activist in Kurdistan was also arrested. Reza Morad Sahraei; from the head of security to the acting Minister of Education. The Assembly identified the "culprits for the delay in paying educators' salaries": two organizations and one ministry.