Education Policy

Iran's constitutional framework includes a commitment to free education through secondary school. UNESCO's education-policy profile also describes a commitment to expanding free higher education within the country's capacity. These are formal obligations; they do not establish that every child can reach a suitable school or receive the support needed to learn. s1

For primary and secondary inclusion, the profile identifies the Ministry of Education, provincial organizations, and district offices as administrative actors. It describes the Supreme Council of Education as approving education policies and regulations. This distinction helps international readers separate national policy decisions from the local arrangements through which children encounter the system. The profile is a documentary account and does not verify administrative practice in every province. s1

Inclusive education means enabling children with disabilities to participate in ordinary learning environments with appropriate support. Human Rights Watch's 2019 investigation identified barriers involving assessment procedures, inaccessible buildings, discriminatory attitudes, and insufficient preparation of school staff. It also acknowledged measures such as accessible materials and requirements for new or renovated buildings. Its criticism concerned the gap between those measures and equal access in practice. These findings describe the investigation's period and should not be treated as a fresh survey of every school. s2

A subsequent UNICEF announcement described SIRAT, translated as the Integrated System for Development and Education. The initiative sought to strengthen early identification, intervention, and referral within mainstream education. Teacher training and access to specialized support were central to the announced approach. The release documents an intervention and its intended expansion; it does not provide a completed national evaluation of learning or participation outcomes. s3

The support pathway described for SIRAT

This diagram summarizes UNICEF's announced support approach. The arrows describe the intended educational process, not measured completion rates or a guarantee of service availability.

Refugee education illustrates why broad commitments need to be checked against dated admission arrangements. UNHCR's January–September 2024 factsheet described foreign children studying alongside Iranian children, while also reporting constraints from school capacity, household economic conditions, and documentation. It stated that foreign pupils required a Yekta identification code to register and that admission depended on available places. These are reported arrangements for that period, not current enrollment instructions. s4

The practical policy problem therefore extends beyond permission to enroll. A place in a classroom, affordable participation, and continuity of attendance all matter. UNHCR reported that economic difficulties and insufficient capacity were hampering access and contributing to dropout among Afghan children. Its account supports distinguishing inclusion as a policy commitment from inclusion as an experience. s4

A UNICEF report from September 2024 described remedial education in Khorasan Razavi and Fars for Afghan and host-community children who had struggled academically. The programme combined reading, writing, mathematics, and social and emotional learning with sessions helping parents support their children. It provides a concrete example of geographically targeted assistance rather than evidence of uniform national provision. s5

Taken together, these sources show why education policy should be assessed through both access and learning. An enrollment count cannot reveal whether buildings are accessible, referrals produce support, or children recover missed learning. Those questions require outcome evidence alongside administrative and programme descriptions. s2s3s5