The Hidden Crisis: Thousands of Students with Disabilities Denied Education in Iran
A shocking revelation by Masoumeh Najafi Pazuki, the Deputy Minister of Education for Primary Education, has unveiled a distressing trend in Iran. It has been disclosed that approximately 30,000 students with disabilities are being denied the opportunity to attend school due to prevailing restrictions. This issue highlights a broader challenge faced by children with physical and movement disabilities, particularly in smaller towns and remote areas, where inadequate school adaptations have resulted in numerous denials and forced dropouts.
Education Abandonment: A Rising Problem
In recent years, reports concerning the plight of children with physical and movement disabilities abandoning their education have come to light. Ramek Heydari, CEO of the Association for the Support of Dystrophy Patients, recently revealed a concerning statistic – 80% of children with this condition have discontinued their education. This alarming figure clearly indicates the unsuitability of the country’s schools for individuals with disabilities.
However, barriers to education affect not only those with disabilities. In an interview with the IRNA news agency, Najafi Pazuki acknowledged the Ministry of Education’s lack of accurate statistics regarding all children facing obstacles to education. An early 2022 census initially reported 200,000 students leaving school, but subsequent investigations revealed discrepancies due to factors such as deaths, emigration, or flawed registration systems.
The Alarming Dropout Rate
According to the latest statistics provided by Najafi Pazuki, approximately 140,000 students have dropped out of primary education. Additional information from the IRNA news agency states that in Mehr 2022, nearly 900,000 students across the country missed out on formal education, with over 204,000 of them belonging to the elementary school level.
The gravity of the situation becomes even more apparent, as the Research Center of the regime’s parliament published a report in September 2022. The report outlined a 26% increase in dropout rates from 2014 to 2021. The province most heavily affected by this crisis is Sistan and Baluchistan, where limited school access and a reliance on temporary dwelling (Kapar) schools located 20 to 50 kilometers away have contributed to the high number of dropouts.
A Nation in Crisis
Over the past few years, more than 600,000 children have abandoned primary school. When considering high school students, the cumulative number of individuals affected exceeds two million. In a shocking revelation made in September 2022, Yusef Nouri, the regime’s former Minister of Education, referred to the 2016 census results, which highlighted that a staggering 8,795,000 people – more than one-tenth of Iran’s population – are entirely illiterate. This revelation further emphasizes the depth of the educational challenges faced by the nation.
The denial of education to thousands of students with disabilities and the increasing dropout rates among Iranian students paint a bleak picture for the nation’s future. Urgent action and comprehensive reforms are needed to ensure that every child, regardless of their abilities or geographical location, can access quality education and thrive.