Secretary of the Teachers' Association: Severe Budget Deficit is the Cause of Teacher Shortage for 460,000 Students

Following the news of a teacher shortage for 23,000 classrooms, equivalent to about 460,000 students in the country, the secretary of the Teachers' Association cited a severe budget deficit in education as one of the main factors behind this issue. Mohammad Taghi Fallahi emphasized in an interview with the Faraz online newspaper on Wednesday, October 4, that policymakers' neglect of education has resulted in the education system not receiving adequate financial resources over the past 40 to 50 years, leading to a 'heavy budget deficit.' According to the secretary of the Teachers' Association, this budget deficit has caused the government to withdraw from its primary responsibilities, including free education, and has imposed this shortfall on the families of students. Recently, Mohammad Wahidi, a member of the Education and Research Commission of the Parliament, pointed out the existence of 23,000 classrooms without teachers, stating that children are wandering in classrooms. According to the Faraz online newspaper, considering an average of 20 students per class, about 460,000 students are left in limbo for the school year. Reza Morad Sahraei, the Minister of Education of the Islamic Republic, confirmed a shortage of 200,000 teachers and promised that, in addition to hiring 75,000 new teachers, the shortages would be compensated by employing retirees and final-year students from the Teacher Training University. Meanwhile, according to Mohammad Wahidi, the non-payment of bonuses to retired teachers for the past two years has made them reluctant to return to work in education. On the other hand, government pressures on teachers' union activists have intensified in recent years, especially after the nationwide protests of 2022, with several of them being arrested or facing penalties such as forced retirement, dismissal, suspension, and confiscation of property. The Faraz online newspaper criticized the performance of the education system in public schools, describing it as contributing to a decline in the quality of education in the country, reporting that despite 85% of students studying in public schools, only about 5% of the top-ranking students in the university entrance exam belong to this group. However, a member of Parliament announced in late September the hiring of 7,000 teachers from religious seminaries for teaching in education. Mojtaba Zolnoori stated that 7,000 teachers from religious seminaries, especially from the women's section, are to be hired for educational activities. The school year begins in impoverished areas with classrooms lacking desks and benches, hosting students. The price of stationery has increased by 50%, starting the school year with high costs for students. The trend of 'school dropouts' is on the rise in Iran; Fani stated that there are 930,000 dropouts in the country. A government official noted that about one-fourth of first-grade children have not yet registered for school.