Revealing a Directive for Charging Tuition from Foreign Students; Expanding Class Discrimination

The Ham-Mihan newspaper reported that the Minister of Education has normalized the payment of tuition fees for foreign students, leading to the dropout of two-thirds of them. The report states that Reza Morad Sahraei, the Minister of Education, faced significant backlash for defending the high costs of running non-profit schools. In response to recent developments, several child advocacy organizations issued a statement emphasizing the need to provide free education for all children, asserting that any form of discrimination in education is prohibited. According to the newspaper, this statement was issued after reports from various cities in Iran indicated increased obstacles for foreign students, particularly Afghan students. The report cites provincial officials and the Deputy Chairman of the Education Commission of the Parliament, revealing that approximately 300,000 foreign students have been added to the number of foreign students in Iran this year. The Ham-Mihan newspaper claims that the Ministry of Education issued a directive early this summer mandating school administrators to charge tuition fees from foreign students, contrary to previous years. The report highlights that in 2015, Ali Khamenei had given a direct order for free education for foreign students, yet the Ministry of Education is pursuing the monetization of their education. The newspaper cites the mentioned directive, stating that tuition fees for foreign students in grades one to six are set at 600,000 tomans, for middle school at 800,000 tomans, for high school at one million tomans, and for technical and vocational schools at 1,200,000 tomans. Child rights advocacy organizations have expressed their objections in a statement, emphasizing that neglecting children's education, charging exorbitant fees, creating numerous administrative barriers, and delaying the issuance of study permits for these children are alarming signs that could lead to an increase in child labor statistics in the near future. The Tasnim news agency also reported on August 2 that the registration process for foreign students in the Islamic Republic of Iran's schools has encountered differences compared to previous years, including online registration. Recently, Behrang Ghorbani, the Director General of Foreign Nationals and Immigrants Affairs in Fars Province, stated in an interview that the presence of foreign nationals in Fars Province has increased by 33% since the Taliban's return to Afghanistan. According to this local official, based on the provincial coordination group's resolution, it has been communicated to the Education Department and provincial governorates that the maximum registration of foreign students in schools should be 40%, and 60% of school capacity must be allocated to Iranian students. In the meantime, some students who previously managed to study in schools are facing difficulties registering for higher classes. Ali Akbar Ismailpour, CEO of the Nedaye Mandegar Institute, told Ham-Mihan that out of 50 Afghan children who were in preschool last year and should have registered in first grade this year, two-thirds have not yet succeeded in registering. According to the same report, many of these children are struggling to obtain a 'permit paper' from the 'Kafalat Office,' having visited these offices multiple times, waiting hours in long lines, but ultimately only a few receive the 'paper' while the rest remain without it. Previously, a senior official in the Ministry of Education of the Islamic Republic also threatened 'self-governing schools' in the education of foreign children residing in Iran with 'closure' if they do not obtain 'permits' from government agencies. Mehdi Fayyazi, head of the International Affairs Center and Schools Abroad of the Ministry of Education, announced on a television program that September 1 would be the 'final deadline' for the registration of 'legal and illegal' foreign children in schools. This ministry official claimed that if 'self-governing schools' for foreign nationals do not obtain permits, they will be 'closed,' asserting that the annual cost for each 'foreign student' in public schools is '15 million tomans.' 'Self-governing schools' are those established by 'a group of educated migrants and grassroots civil organizations' concerned with cultural issues, ensuring that 'every student who cannot study in public schools' is not deprived of their right to education and can study in these schools, even 'with minimal facilities.'