Minister of Education: Students' Interest in School Has Decreased

The Iranian Minister of Education states that the 'enthusiasm and interest' of Iranian students in school has 'decreased' and that schools can no longer be managed based on 'models from the 1980s.' Mohammad Bat'hai made these remarks during the 'Revolution Bell' ceremony at the Refah Elementary School in Tehran. He called for transforming schools into 'places of life' for students, stating that their 'anxiety for education should be reduced and they should feel joy in attending school.' According to the Minister of Education, 'today, students' enthusiasm for school has decreased, and their hearts are not with lessons and classes.' He identified increasing students' 'enthusiasm' for education and school as one of the 'important' goals of education. Bat'hai also added that 'these days, schools cannot be managed with models from the 1980s because students are no longer the students of that era.' He called for changing methods and increasing the emphasis on life skills in student programs. In 2015, two newspapers in Iran warned about the 'educational and familial collapse' in the country, reporting an increase in suicide rates among Iranian students. The newspaper 'Rozan' implicitly attributed the suicide of 111 children in Iran between 2002 and 2004 to their 'humiliation' in school and criticized the Iranian education system. The 'Jahan San'at' newspaper also reported on 'the suicides of several students and children under 16 in various cities across the country.' That year, Iranian media published multiple reports of suicides in three provinces, including several children. One of these suicides involved a 10-year-old child in Oshnavieh from West Azerbaijan province due to 'lack of money.' The Young Journalists Club also reported on the suicide of a student from Bafq County in Yazd province due to 'academic issues' and a ninth-grade girl in the same province due to 'conflict with her father.' According to this report, the first student hanged themselves, and the second student jumped from an apartment. Ali Zarafshan, the Deputy Minister of Secondary Education in 2015, also told the Etemad newspaper that 'the number of teenage suicides in 2015 reached a significant level.' He stated, 'In some cases, families say they cannot believe such an act from their child, who seemed to have no problems. This is a warning bell for everyone, a warning bell for the people and officials to prevent the number of these cases from increasing.'