Government statistics reveal a critical shortage of at least 50,000 classrooms across Iran’s public school system, with an alarming 75 percent of public schools lacking even the most basic educational facilities and standards.
In stark contrast, reports indicate that tuition fees at some private schools in Tehran are set to exceed 500 million tomans for the upcoming academic year.
Private schools, which account for 16 percent of Iran’s educational institutions, cater predominantly to the wealthy elite.
These schools charge exorbitant tuition fees—unaffordable for more than 85 percent of Iranian households—and offer a wide array of privileges, including top-tier educational resources, luxury amenities, and even recreational trips to Europe.
Meanwhile, the state of public education continues to deteriorate. Senior officials of the Islamic Republic have long neglected their constitutional responsibility to provide free, high-quality education for all.
As a result, public school families are often forced to cover the costs of basic supplies, including chalk, blackboards, and exam papers—burdens that disproportionately impact lower-income households.
The consequences of this disparity are stark. A study of the top 30 candidates in Iran’s 2014 national university entrance exam found that only two had graduated from public schools.
This means that a staggering 93 percent of the top-performing students came from private schools—highlighting the direct link between economic privilege and educational opportunity.
In most developed countries, including the UK and many across Europe, private schools make up only about 5 percent of the total educational system. This is largely due to the relatively small difference in quality between public and private institutions.
In some cases, public schools even surpass their private counterparts in teacher training and academic outcomes. Iranian families, by contrast, are driven to pursue private education largely because public schools are failing to meet even minimal standards.
The extent of the crisis is clear in data provided by Iran’s Ministry of Education. Around 3,000 public schools currently operate without trained teachers. Over 65 percent of schools serving nomadic communities lack basic infrastructure such as heating systems or benches.
An estimated 75 percent of public schools do not have standard computers. Furthermore, 7 percent of ninth-grade students dropped out before enrolling in tenth grade last year.
In September 2024 alone, at least one million children were recorded as missing from primary or literacy education, with many more excluded from official counts due to lacking birth certificates.
As public education falters, the private sector continues to thrive—albeit at a steep cost. According to the Haft-e Sobh newspaper, tuition fees at some non-profit and private schools have increased by 80 to 100 percent this year.
School administrators attribute these hikes to rising rental and operational expenses. While the Ministry of Education sets official tuition limits, many private institutions sidestep regulations through “special programs” and paperwork, charging families significantly more than permitted.
The luxury afforded to students at Tehran’s most expensive private schools underscores the vast inequality. These schools boast laptops and high-speed internet for every student, swimming pools, sports clubs, multilingual education (including English and French), and week-long European excursions.
Female students and teachers are often exempt from wearing the mandatory hijab, and campus cafeterias serve diverse menus resembling fine restaurants.
This growing chasm between two distinct educational realities—one of privilege and opportunity, the other of deprivation and decline—reflects a deep structural crisis within Iran’s educational system.
Far from being a mere policy issue, it is a moral failure that undermines the principle of educational justice. It threatens to condemn millions of children to a future shaped by poverty, inequality, and neglect.
Unless systemic reforms are implemented to bridge this divide, Iran risks not only the collapse of its public education system but also the loss of an entire generation to the consequences of state inaction and social stratification.
