EDUCATION IN IRAN

How has education in Iran changed since the Qajar Period?



Table of Contents

Qajar Dynasty3

Education Era of Qajar Dynasty3

Modern Era of Education4

School education4

Pre-school Education cycle5

Primary Education cycle5

Middle (Guidance) Cycle6

Secondary Education cycle6

Higher Education6

Gender Inequality7

Conclusion8

References10

How has education in Iran changed since the Qajar Period?

Qajar Dynasty

The Qajars were a Turkmen tribe that held family lands currently in Azerbaijan, which was part of Iran at that time. After the death of Mohammad Karim Khan Zand, in 1779 the Zand Dynasty ruler of southern Iran. A leader of the Qajar tribe Agha Mohammad Khan has decided to gather the Iranian territory again. Agha Mohammad Khan defeated several opponents and brought all of Iran under his regime. He established the Qajar dynasty. By 1794, he had defeated all his opponents. He declared Tehran as capital, a village near the ruins of the ancient city of Ray (now Shahr-e Rey). In 1796, he was crowned as shah. Agha Mohammad was murdered in 1797 and was taken over Fath Ali Shah (Biewen, 2002).Education Era of Qajar Dynasty

Intellectuals and educationalists of Qajar dynasty were inclined from western philosophers like Rousseau, John Adams, ThomasJefferson, Adam Smith and Jonathan Mill. They proposed that Iran should adopt the modern education system. Malkom Khan one of the intellectuals who want modernization in education. He proposed that reformist should all the new techniques and innovations they wished to introduce in Islamic terms, so that people can easily adopt them. Iranian reformist like Sepahsalar explains the benefits of education for Iranian Community as “the key to spiritual and material progress is knowledge and knowledge alone. In any sphere of life, is it politics, the army or the administration, one can achieve perfection only by knowledge. What Iran needs more than anything else today are men with experience and know-how. All the progress of Europe has come from work and wisdom of men with foresight and experience. A governor cannot understand his duties without education and knowledge of world affairs and of history, enabling him to study the governments that have attained progress.” (Tamer, 2010). In short, individuals can by perspicacity transform a small nation into a strong and great one; similarly, it is possible for individuals to destroy a great nation by sheer carelessness.” Where reformists are, supporting modernization, some intellectuals like Ja'far Ibn Ishaq And Hajj Mohammad Ali Sayyah Mahalati showed a disregard of clergy towards modernization. They emphasized that teaching of Quranic Verses and Islamic traditions should be added in education. Although introducing reformist policies, none of the Qajar shahs urges to change Status quo.Modern Era of Education

Iranian educational system since 1979, revolution has gone through many changes. The structure of the Iranian System is basically divided into five cycles. These structures include pre-school, primary, middle (or guidance), secondary and post-secondary. Three most prominent characteristics of the Iranian education are that elementary education is compulsory under the Iranian constitution. Through an increasing number of applicants, entry tests are held all over the country, and only talented students can enter universities. Finally, education in primary, secondary and post-secondary is ...