IRAN'S EDUCATION SYSTEM

[Audio] IRAN'S EDUCATION SYSTEM. A flag on a pole Description automatically generated with low confidence.

[Audio] Iran's population as of 2021 is 85 million, language of instruction is Farsi, with 8 years Compulsary education. And the academic year is starts every September and ends in June..

[Audio] Ministry of Education, supervises national examinations, monitors standards, organizes teacher training, develops curricula and educational materials, and builds and maintains schools..

[Audio] Primary and secondary education is supervised by the Ministry of Education and higher education is under supervision of Ministry of Science, research and Technology , while medical fields is under the Ministry of Health and Medical Education..

[Audio] Literacy Rate Adult male literacy rate (aged 15–24-year-olds) = 91.19 % ( 2022). Adult female literacy rate (aged 15– 24-year-olds) = 98.17% (2022). As of 2002, over all youth literacy is 98.36 percent of the Iranian youth population. Iran had a student to workforce population ratio of 10.2%, standing among the countries with highest ratio in the world..

[Audio] Basic education lasts until grade 9 and is compulsory, and in the public school system, free. Prior to 2012, the basic education cycle lasted eight years and was divided into a five-year elementary education cycle ( dabestan) and a three-year lower secondary, or guidance, cycle (doreh-e rahnama-ii). Reforms adopted in 2012 have since then extended the elementary cycle to six years, lengthening basic education to a total of nine years, although most students presently still study under the old structure. 42% of the national budget is applied to education with ongoing efforts to beneficiate rural areas..

[Audio] Iran's system of education is divided into the following levels:.

[Audio] Education in Iran is centralized and divided into K- 12 education plus higher education..

[Audio] Primary school. The process begins with 1 year of pre-school orientation following which children automatically enter primary school. There they pass through grades 1 to 5. At the end of this, they sit a national examination that they must pass too, if they are to enter middle school..

[Audio] Lower Secondary Education: (Guidance Cycle) Four years of secondary education cover grades 7 to 9 The aim of this level is to develop students' decision-making for selecting their main study branch in the next level by recognizing and identifying their capabilities and skills. Students have the final choice between studying at academic or technical levels. if academic, they select one of 4 academic streams ( literature and culture, physics / mathematics, socio-economics or experimental sciences. If vocational, they have choices between agriculture, business / vocational training, and technology.

[Audio] In Iran, upper-secondary education is NOT compulsory. By 2010, 80% of children aged between 16 and 18 were enrolled. Approximately 6% of upper secondary institutions are private. These schools must conform to the regulations of the Ministry of Education, though they are financed primarily through tuition fees received from students. There are three school types: the theoretical branch, the technical-vocational/professional branch, and the manual skills branch ( Kar-Danesh .each path has its own specialties , ). in the case of the theoretical path for example are ' mathematics and physics'; 'experimental sciences' or ' literature and humanities') The latter two prepare students to directly enter the job market in the trading, agricultural, industrial professions. The Kar-Danesh track develops semi-skilled and skilled workers, foremen, and supervisors.. Students with High school Diploma Certificate earn the right to take the Konkur, or the competitive National Entrance Examination. In 2009: ≈ 11% were admitted ( 1,278,433 entrants), 60% of which were female. Students passing the Konkur obtain the degree equivalent of a GCE A-levels and/or International Baccalaureate. Students from the academic and technical streams are awarded the Diplom-Motevaseteh ( certificate of completion of secondary school studies) upon successful completion of studies and after passing the national examination. Graduates either continue on to a final pre-university year of education or opt to enter the workforce..

[Audio] Entry to Iran's tuition-free public universities is based on the very competitive University Entrance Examination known as the Konkur or Concours. Many private universities also use this examination for admission purposes. One notable exception is the semi-private Islamic Azad University ( IAU), the country's largest university. IAU administers its own entrance exam, which is very similar to the Konkur. The university, which charges tuition fees and enrolls over 1.7 million students at campuses around the country, is not nearly as competitive to get into as public universities. the Konkur exam is Administered in June every year, the Konkur exam, is 4 and and a half hours, multiple-choice comprehensive examination, The exam tests students' knowledge of Persian language and literature, history, a foreign language, and mathematics. Those that fail are allowed to repeat until they pass. Top students usually go into engineering and medical fields. Given the competitive nature of the examination, a cram industry providing exam-preparation classes thrives in Iran, giving rise to widespread criticism of the examination and its negative impact on school instruction, the last year of which is essentially focused on taking and passing the exam. As a result, authorities continue to look at reforming the system and replacing the Konkur. One option under consideration is the use of a cumulative grade point average of the final three years of secondary school..

[Audio] Higher Education: All institutions of higher education, except medical institutions, are under the supervision of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. Medical universities are supervised by the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education. Post-secondary vocational education is overseen by the Technical and Vocational Training Organization. All programs at private universities must be approved by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and recognized by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. Quality assurance of higher education institutions comes under the auspices of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. Concrete information on the process and methods of assessment is not available..

[Audio] Technical Institutes and Higher Education Institutes . Iran's Technical and Vocational Training Organization ( TVTO) under the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare, supervises some 6oo of these institutions. Post-secondary training is also provided by licensed private training providers and technical institutes affiliated to Iran's public Technical and Vocational University and the University of Applied Sciences and Technology. These technical institutes offer non-formal short-term vocational training programs, as well as associate-level qualifications. Another group of non-university institutions, Iran's so-called " higher education institutes," were mostly upgraded to universities in the 1980s and 1990s..

[Audio] associate Degree (Kardani – formerly Fogh Diplom) Kardani programs are presently offered as either five-year integrated secondary and tertiary programs or as two- to three-year post-secondary qualifications. Kardani degrees are awarded by universities, higher education institutes, and technical institutes. Kardani degree-holders have the option to complete a Karshenasi degree in two years..

[Audio] Undergraduate curricula offer a wide range of general education and elective subjects along with the degree specialization, which typically is concentrated in the last two years of the program. Bachelor Degree or Karshenasi programs are also offered as short two-year programs on top of a Kardani degree. These programs are known as Karshenasi Napayvasteh (non-continuous degree) and offer holders of Kardani degrees the option to continue their education and complete a Karshenasi degree in two years..

[Audio] Following the Karshenasi, the Iranian system has a postgraduate Karshenasi Arshad degree (previously known as Fogh Licence or Fogh Lisans). The award of the credential typically requires 28 to 45 credits, depending on the program, with an overall GPA of 14 out of 20 or better, and the completion of a thesis. Programs are generally two years in length..

[Audio] Doctor of philosophy. Doctoral degrees require the completion of 12 to 30 credits of coursework, a comprehensive examination, publication and defense of a research dissertation, and an overall coursework GPA of 14 out of 20 for the award of the degree. Program duration is between three and six years..

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