Twenty Percent of Schools in Iran are Dilapidated

The Deputy Technical and Supervision of the School Renovation Organization announced that 20 percent of schools in Iran are dilapidated, emphasizing the distinction between 'dangerous' schools and those that are simply worn out. Majid Abdollahi stressed that students are not allowed to study in 'dangerous' schools, noting that in Isfahan, 14 schools affected by land subsidence were not permitted to have students this year. This official stated that approximately 20,000 schools out of about 105,000 and 104,000 classrooms out of 540,000 are dilapidated. According to Abdollahi, 6 percent of these classrooms, equivalent to 33,000 classrooms, require demolition and reconstruction. The head of the School Renovation, Development, and Equipment Organization of Iran had previously stated that 30 percent of the 104,000 classrooms in Iran need demolition, reconstruction, renovation, or reinforcement. The number of dilapidated schools comes at a time when on August 13 of this year, the head of the organization announced that according to initial identification, there are 1,073 container schools in the country. The condition of schools labeled as 'dilapidated' is particularly dire in small and remote cities. In this context, the ILNA news agency reported on the first day of the school year that students in the 'Loudab' district of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province began the new school year in schools lacking 'desks and benches, plumbing, heating packages, and safety.' According to ILNA's report citing Kourosh Biniaz, the district governor of Loudab, 35 schools in this district lack plumbing toilets, and in 45 schools, 'there are no heating or safety equipment.' He mentioned that there are 10 'tent' schools in this province, and out of a total of 145 schools, only two are equipped with computers and 'printers.' While the safety of schools is a nationwide issue in Iran, over the past few decades, the Islamic Republic has focused its policy-making and budget on changing content and injecting more ideological topics into the curriculum and educational system. A media outlet in Iran reported on the 'inspection' of female students with electronic equipment. The Minister of Education responded to criticisms: 'We do not have classes without teachers.' A member of the Education Commission of the Parliament stated: '68,000 teachers have left the educational system.' A research report indicated that the number of mosques in Iran is at least 55 times that of hospitals. Strengthening ideology in education; the prayer bell has become mandatory in all schools in Iran.