Donya-e-Eqtesad newspaper reported on the issue of education in the new school year and the impact of inflation, stating that 110,000 first-graders were prevented from entering the education system due to the rising costs of school supplies and tuition.
In its September 14 issue, the newspaper wrote that comparing the prices of elementary school textbooks shows a roughly 50% increase compared to last year.
According to the newspaper, the price of stationery has increased by at least 20% compared to last year, and a middle-class working family must spend at least 30 million rials (approximately $50) to meet the minimum needs of students, excluding the cost of a backpack, shoes, and uniform. The minimum wage in Iran is approximately $180 per month.
Donya-e-Eqtesad noted that the expected number of first-grade enrollments is about 1.495 million, which is down by about 110,000 compared to last year. “The rise in education costs has prevented these children from enrolling,” it stated.
The newspaper also interviewed Mohsen Golestani, the head of the Union of Stationery and Engineering Supplies Sellers, who said: “Most of the raw materials for domestic production are imported. The exchange rate has affected prices, and wages have also risen, along with an increase in bank interest rates.”
Golestani also pointed to the current hot topic of power outages in industries, stating: “Another issue we faced in production was power outages. Most stationery production saw a drop in output during the summer. The decline in output due to power cuts, along with fixed costs and wages, has all contributed to the rise in the price of domestic stationery.”
According to this trade official: “People’s purchasing power has declined, and families, instead of buying all the necessary supplies at once, are managing their needs throughout the year.”
Previously, the Deputy Minister of Primary Education had announced on September 9 that for the 2023-2024 school year, about 216,243 children in primary school were out of school, of which only 31,518 had returned to education.
The statistics on children who are out of school in Iran are highly inconsistent. On June 25, the Deputy Chairman of the Education Committee in the Majlis (Parliament) announced that 911,000 children, including 400,000 primary school students, were out of school in Iran.
Mohammad Molavi, another member of the Education Committee, said in July that 279,000 children had dropped out of school due to “financial difficulties.”
Regardless of the statistical discrepancies, the significant point is the increasing trend of dropping out or not entering the education system in the first grade due to financial problems and poverty, a problem that continues to spread.
Official data also shows that 70% of school dropouts are from the lowest five income deciles.
