Ali Farhadi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, reported on the declining trend of the country's student population and stated that it is expected to reach over three million and 500 thousand by the year 2033. Farhadi described this situation as concerning and emphasized that those responsible for the country's population policies should pay more attention to this issue.
First Grade Enrollment Statistics
Farhadi pointed out that the number of students enrolling in the first grade of elementary school has decreased by nearly 100 thousand compared to last year. The student population in the country was about 16 million and 200 thousand last year, and according to the latest estimates, the number of students this year will be around 16 million and 100 thousand.
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Need for Policy Making to Manage the Situation
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Education emphasized that the decrease in the student population, especially in the first grade of elementary school, is an indication of demographic changes in the country and that precise and long-term policymaking is necessary to manage its consequences. He also mentioned that the deadline for registration in schools will be November 6, which will be the last time for enrolling students who missed out for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Farhadi further stated that student registration has been officially conducted and classes have been formed. However, the Ministry of Education is always welcoming students who wish to enroll, and the registration process does not completely stop. He noted that due to social conditions or lack of cooperation from families, some students may miss registration.
Attention to Children's Education and Legal Challenges
Farhadi stressed the necessity of preventing children from dropping out of school and stated that the Ministry of Education is pursuing legal actions in this regard. If parents do not register their child of school age, this issue will be treated as a legal violation. He also mentioned that cooperation with the judiciary has been established to ensure that students who do not enroll at school age are subject to legal guarantees.
Regarding the decrease of 7 thousand students in Tehran, Farhadi explained that this reduction is due to various reasons and does not necessarily mean a lack of registration. He emphasized that the country's student population is on a declining trend, and this issue needs to be carefully examined.
New Recruitment Exam for Teachers
In response to questions about the possibility of holding a new recruitment exam to compensate for the teacher shortage, Farhadi stated that the recruitment of human resources is conducted through Farhangian University and Shahid Rajaei University. The holding of a recruitment exam depends on assessing needs and existing capacities and is not yet confirmed.
According to him, currently, there are no classrooms without teachers, and the human resources in schools have been fully organized. Farhadi clarified that part of the schools' needs is met through the additional teaching capacity of current teachers and cooperation from retired teachers.
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