Strengthening Ideology in Education; Prayer Time Mandatory in All Schools in Iran

The Minister of Education of the Islamic Republic announced in a directive that prayer time is mandatory in all schools and at all educational levels. The directive issued by Reza Morad Sahraei states that prayer time is included in the daily official program of schools at all educational stages with the aim of 'strengthening and developing the culture of prayer,' and that schools are required to allocate a 30-minute period for this purpose. The directive emphasizes that, in accordance with 'the directives of Ali Khamenei' in the second step of the revolution statement, 'strengthening and developing the culture of prayer' is considered a priority for the educational activities of schools. The Director General of 'Witness and Veterans Affairs' of the Ministry of Education also announced on February 1, 2023, the new approach of this ministry in education, stating that 'the promotion of martyrdom culture in schools has begun and the content of textbooks will also change accordingly.' Zahra Panahirova emphasized that textbooks will gradually change and all topics related to 'promoting martyrdom will be considered in the upcoming changes.' Previously, in September of last year, the Ministry of Education announced the alteration of the content of 200 textbooks at the directive of the Supreme Leader, stating that these changes would be based on Ali Khamenei's remarks regarding the revision of textbooks and educational content provided to students. The Ministry of Education claimed the entry of 25,000 new teachers since the beginning of November. The consequences of the expansion of poverty in Iran: '556,000 adolescents' dropping out before entering high school. The expansion of the education crisis in Iran; 'Village kindergartens' have been closed due to budget cuts and the elimination of hot meals.