Wave of Suicides Among Iranian Students; 'Poverty and Underdevelopment' Are Blamed

The Telegram channel of the Coordination Council of Teachers' Trade Unions in Iran reported on the rise of suicides among students, noting that since the beginning of October this year, there have been cases of student suicides, with 8 students having committed suicide resulting in death since December. The report attributes the phenomenon to economic problems, the collapse of the middle class, social and emotional effects stemming from these issues, the inefficiency of the education system, lack of educational space and counseling in schools, and the monetization and class stratification of education. Among the cases mentioned are the suicide of a 12-year-old girl in Ilam and a 14-year-old girl and child laborer in Sanandaj, both of whom reportedly took their lives due to economic hardships. This is occurring while Reza Morad Sahraei, the Minister of Education, is pursuing the implementation of ideological programs in Iranian schools, ignoring the ongoing issues and challenges within the educational system. In this context, the ministry is taking actions such as employing clerics in schools, establishing mosque-centered schools, using religious individuals as educational mentors, making extensive changes to textbooks, gender-segregating textbooks, focusing educational content on martyrdom, and altering the educational environment for girls to impose restrictions. The report from the Coordination Council of Teachers' Trade Unions states: 'The tsunami of student suicides from Ilam and Pardis to Sanandaj has shocked society, yet unfortunately, there has been no principled response from senior education officials.' This inaction from education managers and officials occurs despite their behavior towards students being one of the factors contributing to suicides. In this regard, following the suicide of Zahra Hatami, a student on October 1, a source close to her family told Voice of America that the confiscation of her mobile phone and the principal's call to her father caused the girl to panic, leading her to flee to the roof and subsequently fall to her death. According to citizen reports, this student, after being 'suspended for three days' from school 'for nail polish,' 'threw herself off a half-finished building' and lost her life. The increase in mortality due to the consumption of 'rice pills' in Kermanshah province, the consequences of poverty in border cities, and the prevalence of youth suicides in Ilam are also highlighted, alongside worker suicides in Iran, with an economist stating that this is the most acute form of protest against the chaos.