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- Country Facts
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EDUCATION OVERVIEW
- ADMINISTRATION
AND FINANCE
- Education in Iran is highly centralized.
The Ministry of Education is in charge of educational planning,
financing, administration, curriculum, and textbook development. Teacher
training, grading, and examinations are also the responsibility of the
Ministry.
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- SIZE
- There are approximately 92,500 public educational
institutions at all levels, with a total enrollment of approximately
17,488,000 students.
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- STRUCTURE
- The current structure of the system consists of
non-compulsory pre-elementary education, elementary, lower secondary
(guidance), upper secondary, and higher educational institutions.
All public institutions are under the control of the Ministry of
Education.
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- As the system is highly centralized administration
and accrediting bodies are difficult to separate.
At the higher education level, the High Council of the Cultural
Revolution is the predominate authority.
It authorizes the formation of new institutions, oversees
educational policy and planning, and controls the selection process for
admission to postsecondary institutions. The Higher Council of Planning,
which is chaired by the Minister of Culture and Higher Education, is
responsible for approving higher educational programmes and projects.
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- PRIVATE
AND PUBLIC EDUCATION
- At the elementary, lower secondary (guidance), and
upper secondary levels, private schooling is conducted in the form of
non-profit institutions. These schools must conform to the regulations
of the Ministry of Education, though they are financed primarily through
tuition fees received from students. Private institutions follow the same curriculum as public
institutions. The schools are highly selective and are allowed to design
their own entrance examinations. A significant number of students are
educated in tribal or ethnic schools; those tribes that are not nomadic
are treated as rural communities. Tribal education does not exist at the
upper secondary level. Approximately
6% of upper secondary institutions are private.
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- At the higher education level, there are a few
private teacher-training colleges. The largest private institution is
the Azad University. Although its degree programmes are considered to be
of a very high standard, the Ministry of Education does not recognize
the degrees of its graduates.
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- ACADEMIC
YEAR
- September through June, with two semesters; note
that students attend classes Saturday through Thursday.
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- TEACHER
EDUCATION
- Teacher Training Centers are responsible for
training teachers for elementary, lower secondary (guidance), and
exceptional children’s schools. These
centers offer two-year programmes leading to a Fogh-Diploma
(associate degree). Students that attend Teacher Training Centers, have
diverse educational backgrounds. At minimum, students have completed the
guidance cycle of education; most have completed upper secondary school.
A national entrance examination is required for admission.
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order to teach at the upper secondary level, in theory, a Kar-shenasi
(bachelor’s) degree is required; however due to a shortage of
teachers, schools have been compelled to use teaching staff with other
educational backgrounds. Teachers are trained in universities and higher
institutes. There are seven teacher-training colleges in Iran.
Revised: May 06, 2004
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Copyright © 2001 World Education
Services.
All rights reserved.
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