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The First Day of School, the Day of Memories

By M.Behnoud

Last Wednesday was the memorial first day of Persian month of Mehr (September 21, st coinciding with the first day of Autumn) and the onset of the new educational year. Sixteen million pupils started school on this day, three millions less than the number of pupils attending school in previous years that made the highest number of births in the demographic history of   Iran.

The decrease in the number of pupils, in addition to the fact that one million of them go to private schools, which further cuts the educational budget is good news for the education officials of the country who have been facing shortage of classrooms, desks and teachers as the result of the recent population explosion.

During the last years of the first decade of its life, and with the help of specialists and despite the serious objection of traditionalists, the Islamic Republic managed to control the population growth rate that reached its climax of 3.7% during the eight years war with Iraq.

After the approval of population control plan in the closing years of its second decade of life, the Islamic Republic managed to lower the past considerable growth rate to 1.9% and subsequently received the international support, but another seven years was necessary for the results to manifest themselves and the ever increasing demand for new schools, desks and teachers decreases and the tremendous pressure on the educational system of the country lowers down.

On last Tuesday when the first graders went to school as it has become a new custom in the past years, their number was a little more than one million, that is half their numbers in the previous years.

Official statistics show that in the new school year, 450 000 pupils started pre-school, 488000, the primary school, 4505000, the first part of the high school   and 4732000, the second   high school.

The total number of pupils that had reached 19 millions in the past has been decreasing constantly in recent years, reaching its minimum this year.

However, educational specialists believe that this jubilation will not last long as those born during the last decade will reach the age of school soon. Soon the number of first graders and after that those studying in higher grades will increase again and the demand for classrooms, desks and teachers will rise again.

Social studies show a corresponding change in the texture of the population from the political and social aspects as well. That means when those born in the first decade of the life of Islamic Republic, attended three different shifts at schools with an incredible shortage of teachers exerted a great pressure on the educational system of the country, but by the middle of the following decade, they were already studying at universities giving rise to the event of Khordad 2 nd (election of President Khatami).

These millions of young people who are capable of initiating a great movement in any

society, now stand in the form of indifferent masses of people in the way of political groups, because of their frustrating despair in the failure of the reformist movement they initiated. The increasing rate of unemployment, social problems and poverty resulting from lowered annual income are the additional causes of the above political indifference and despair.

While fulfillment of demands of young masses standing at the threshold of forming families is forcing reformists and technocrats to plan for economic prosperity and absorption of foreign capital, it is driving traditionalists and conservatives to adopt other solutions.

Conservatives tend to count religious faith and prevention of consumerism seen in western societies and in the world culture as their most important solution for prevention of social damages and political movements and have started a serious struggle in this regard.

Political specialists as well as reformists of Khatami's government believe that if on one hand, the political and economic isolation of the country continues and political challenges prevent capital investment necessary for economic growth and fulfillment of right demands of such large masses; and if on the other hand, the grounds for the activity of the private section is not prepared, Iran will soon face serious economic and social problems.

Conservatives suggest greater solidarity and power of the government in face of future unrests due to accumulation of demands and see the appeal to religious values as the proper solution.

Educational specialists find application of modern educational technology including electronic education, education through internet and operation of virtual schools, expansion of educational units by the use of new educational technology as the only solution.

Traditionalists and conservatives overlook the fact that increasing efficiency and active presence on the international scene, as recent extensive studies and large scale planning show, is the only solution that governments have and this is what drives even the most isolated societies to take part in the world's family.

As an old teacher says: the joy of school and society on the first day of Mehr is an ever present fact, but preservation of this joy for those attending higher grade is a great challenge that demands large scale planning.

BBC Persian   22 sep.2004