The delegation of school closure authority to the Ministry of Education was approved to align decisions with local conditions and prevent nationwide closures. Rezvan Hakimzadeh, the Deputy Minister of Primary Education, emphasized the importance of preserving students' instructional time, stating that this decision allows for region-specific decisions instead of nationwide closures.
Importance of Instructional Time
Hakimzadeh continued her remarks by pointing out the significant difference in instructional time in Iran compared to many other countries, saying: "The instructional time in our country is less than in other countries, not only in terms of the number of operational days but also in terms of the duration of students' presence in class. This issue directly affects students' learning outcomes." She also referenced the differences in international test results and emphasized that the educational conditions of countries should be compared. According to her, factors such as air pollution and energy imbalance are excuses for school closures that can harm instructional time.
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Management of School Closures
The Deputy Minister of Primary Education, referencing the experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, said: "Iran was one of the countries with the longest duration of school closures. Many countries reopened their schools after a month despite having technological facilities." She criticized the unnecessary decisions leading to school closures, stating that this issue needs to be examined more carefully. Hakimzadeh also referred to a report from the Educational Studies Research Institute indicating that school closures have little impact on reducing energy imbalance.
She emphasized the necessity of cultural development in this area, saying: "If we provide the necessary education and reconsider our consumption behavior, we can prevent unnecessary closures." Experiences from other countries in similar conditions show that they often do not close schools despite air pollution. Hakimzadeh concluded by noting that managing instructional time and preventing unnecessary closures requires a reconsideration of policies and serious cultural development.
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