Severe Weakening of Persian Language Learning Among Students After Removal of Persian from University Entrance Exam

According to research conducted in Iran, students have scored the lowest in writing, listening, and speaking skills in Persian, having "only surpassed the level of incapacity." The greatest weakness among Iranian students has been assessed in reading, a skill that the school textbooks supposedly focus on strengthening. In this context, on Sunday, Maryam Daneshgar, head of the language education department at the Academy of Persian Language and Literature, stated in an interview that all conducted surveys have shown that "there is no plan or program to address the issue of linguistic and national identity in textbooks." She described the compilation of Persian textbooks based on the personal desires of authors, and in the absence of guidelines and clear objectives, as "catastrophic." Numerous reports indicate that the trend of Iranian students lacking proficiency in the Persian language has accelerated since the removal of Persian from the university entrance exam, which was implemented last year. In this regard, the Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday, October 7, under the title "A Fatal Blow to National Identity with Textbooks?" about the decreasing proficiency of the new generation of Iran in the Persian language, referring to expert studies indicating that students in the country, at the end of 12 years of schooling and on the verge of entering university, do not have sufficient command of all language skills. The report noted that despite serious criticisms from Persian language professors, no research has yet been conducted to examine the impact of this decision on students' knowledge and language skills. However, some experts believe that following the removal of Persian from the entrance exam, an even greater decline in students' language skills is forthcoming. According to the report, prior to the removal of Persian from the general entrance exam subjects, students at least took Persian more seriously in preparation for the exam. The report reminded that Iranian experts have been warning about the shortcomings of textbooks for years, but no one in the education system pays attention to these concerns. Is there an intention behind this? Last year, among the general subjects removed from the entrance exam, the removal of Persian literature received the most reactions in the media and social networks, and several teachers and professors of Persian literature, as well as some cultural figures, protested against it, but to no avail. Several months later, numerous experts reported to the media about the severe regression of students' skills in the Persian language and literature. Among them, Mohammad Moftahi, a poet, researcher, and literature teacher, told ISNA news agency: "Students no longer have the desire to read literature; literature is heading towards being overlooked and losing its importance." Meanwhile, according to Tasnim, while many families, mainly in large cities, compel their children to learn a second or third language, the educational structure of the country has teachers who are accustomed to traditional teaching methods. The Ham-Mihan newspaper last month pointed out the severe decline in education in Iran and low averages, stating that illiteracy in reading and writing is severe in working-class and deprived areas of Iran, and in a province like Sistan and Baluchestan, at least 4 to 5 out of every 20 sixth and seventh-grade students are illiterate. This trend coincides with the severe weakening of spoken Persian among the younger generation, which, according to various media reports, is increasingly facing the use of English words. The heavy use of English words in Persian has also spread to some officials of the Islamic Republic. In July of this year, the "Haft Sobh" newspaper cited an example from Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, the Minister of Communications in the twelfth government, who in a tweet addressed to the new generation wrote: "Your diss tracks are killing us; a wise person wouldn’t diss you back. Your charm must be bought. Let’s form a team for Iran together. We need to bring long-distance relationships closer and mend the cuts. This is how we can be friends and build Iran." The Mehr news agency reports that the virtual space, especially social networks and live streaming channels of video games, play a significant role in the proliferation of these non-Persian words. The report states that users of these spaces, by imitating bloggers and streamers of these channels, have become accustomed to using English words in their daily conversations and consider this type of speech as "a form of superiority."