Statements of the Meeting with Teachers and Educators from Across the Country

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Thanks be to God, Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and infallible family, especially the Remaining One of God on earth.

Welcome, dear brothers and sisters, a sample of the best and noblest classes and servants of the country, namely the community of teachers in the country. I thank our dear brother, the esteemed head, for his remarks; he expressed very good and important points. What he informed us has been accomplished — of which I was unaware of some — is significant, and what he said is intended to be done and acted upon is very important. They must strive; all of this is achievable. If someone thinks that this is ambitious and that we are heading towards horizons that are beyond our reach, they are certainly mistaken. All that they mentioned are our expectations and are achievable; it requires effort, skill, follow-up, and divine assistance will encompass such a movement, God willing. I also thank you for the song you performed; it was a different song that began with divine oneness and continued with the praise of teachers; it is indeed appropriate that after divine praise, one should engage in the praise of teachers; it was very good.

I commemorate our dear martyr, the late Ayatollah Motahhari, who was a true teacher in every sense of the word. All the qualities we expect from our school teachers or university instructors were present in this man; he had knowledge, commitment, precision, follow-up, and discipline in his work; many positive qualities existed in this great man. Thanks be to God, his martyrdom also brought blessings for the country; he himself reached high positions, and his works, due to this martyrdom, found a place in the hearts of the community. I recommend that his writings and the arrangements of his speeches, especially for teachers, be looked at and read; they will be very beneficial for you.

Well, this session is primarily for honoring the community of teachers in the country, which I feel obligated to do every year, and secondly, I will present a few points regarding education today.

In my opinion, the first thing I must express today regarding teachers is gratitude to the community of teachers; these unknown soldiers of the Islamic system and Islam and Muslims who are quietly working in the farthest corners of the country, engaged in struggle and working amidst many hardships and difficulties. In fact, this community of teachers is raising the children of the nation and preparing them for a bright future. Now, not all teachers are the same; like all other communities, like all other classes, they have different levels, but the overall view of teachers is as I have mentioned. They also face a lack of resources, which is not just a current issue. In the past, teachers have emerged victorious in various tests. During the Sacred Defense, the teachers of the country sacrificed nearly five thousand martyrs; the teachers of the country gave about four thousand nine hundred and some martyrs. The students who were often influenced by the warm breath of their teachers went to the front and were martyred, numbering around 36 thousand; these students may have been influenced by family, mosques, and friends, but many of these young students who went to the front were under the influence of the warm breath of these teachers.

The work that a committed teacher undertakes is, in my opinion, the most important work in the country; that is, educating and training the children of the country, that is, building the future of the country. The teacher is, in fact, the architect of the future of the country. Today, you are building the tomorrow of the country. If you can raise aware, knowledgeable, thoughtful, logical, faithful, determined, religious, and ethically committed individuals, you have rendered the greatest service to the country; indeed, no other service can be compared to this. This issue of educating our youth, given the intelligence of Iranian youth, becomes more significant and gains additional importance. If we were facing an average young and adolescent community in terms of intellect, it would be one thing; now that we are facing a smart young generation that is above the global average intelligence, the matter is different. This is a tremendous wealth. If we do not educate this valuable being, this intelligent young person — who has proven his intelligence in Olympiads, in global competitions, and in everything — and do not bring him to his deserving position, it is truly a disservice; this is a precious gem, and it must be well-crafted.

Well, this is the role and position of the teacher. The position is very important, very high, and the responsibility is equally high; the responsibility is high. Since we have talked a lot about this issue — both I and everyone else have spoken — I will present a few brief points.

One is that the teacher should regard the student as his own child. What aspirations do you have for your son or daughter? Do you not want them to be happy? Do you not want them to be proud? Do you not want them to be wise? Do you not want their behavior in society and families to be respectable? A person wants these things for their child; you should want the same for your student. That is, your primary task is to teach, but in the course of every lesson — I have often said that sometimes a math teacher or a physics teacher, during the lesson, says a word that has more impact on this young person than an hour of preaching I might do! With just one word; we have seen these — with behavior, with actions, with speech, nurture faith, righteousness, and human qualities in this student. Assume he is your own child; you are nurturing him; this is the first expectation that a person has from teachers. Of course, this is separate from the issue of 'nurturing' that I will discuss later; those nurturing matters are a separate issue; some mix these together. Those who wanted to suspend 'nurturing' said, 'The teacher should nurture while teaching,' which is an incomplete and insufficient statement; however, during teaching, true nurturing can also be done, and 'nurturing' is a separate matter.

Another point is encouraging students to attend centers that are blessed and enlightening, such as mosques and religious gatherings. Experience has shown that a young person who is connected to the mosque brings more good to society; that is, the probability is higher. It does not mean that a young person or a non-young person who is involved with the mosque does not deviate; yes, all possibilities exist, but this environment is a very valuable one.

One point regarding teacher behavior is the importance of students' presence in school. Well, this issue of COVID and virtual education and distance learning really caused damage; it created disruption in the education system of the country. We might say that with virtual space and video communication and such things, lessons can be taught, but a student, besides learning and hearing the lesson, needs to be present in the educational environment; they need to be among their peers, colleagues, and contemporaries; this creates synergy, and this is very important. Efforts should be made to ensure that students attend school; school is significant. This is one matter. Well, we mentioned that COVID caused damage; these disturbances and riots and such things also cause damage; that is, with the insecurities they create in the streets and so forth, one of the blows they deal to the country is precisely that they make schools unsafe. Or the issues related to poisoning and such things, whether real or rumors, if the enemy's hand is involved, which apparently it is, this truly strikes at the foundation of work in the country and the foundation of education, as it prevents attendance in schools.

One of the things expected from dear and respected teachers is to revive the sense of Iranian and Islamic identity and national character in the children of this country. The issue of language is important, the issue of nationality is important, the issue of the flag is important; they must be attached to it; these are essential things, these are fundamental. You must revive this recognition, this national and personal identity in the student; [the student] must be proud of being Iranian. Of course, there is pride. It is not enough to just say, 'Be proud'; it does not work with mere recommendations. Now I will discuss textbooks; when national figures, cultural history, and historical dignity are shown to the adolescent and young, a sense of dignity arises in them. Others do not have a history; they create their own history, and they send their films here to be broadcast on our television; they do not have such heroes, nor such people, [but] they create them; it is an art, it is the art of filmmaking. We have all this historical past full of epic, bravery, and excellent human and social qualities, and these remain silent. This is one.

Well, I mentioned that several points are expected from teachers. We expect teachers to feel a sense of responsibility, and this expectation is justified; however, in return, there must also be a sense of responsibility towards the teacher. Fairness must be observed; when the system has expectations from the teaching community, it must also feel a sense of responsibility towards this community. This sense of responsibility [also] encompasses all dimensions; it is not just about livelihood. Of course, the issue of livelihood is very important, but it is not just about livelihood; it is about experiential learning, it is about skill acquisition; these things that the esteemed head mentioned in his speech regarding what we must do or intend to do for teachers are part of the duties; these are things that must be done; that is, these are the responsibilities of the system towards the teacher; [such as] in-service training and addressing the needs of the Teacher Training University. This Teacher Training University is very important, and the institutions for training teachers are all very important; addressing their needs is very important.

Well, I will also say a few sentences about the fundamental issue of education. One matter is about the position of education in the management system of the country. What position does education hold in the management of the country? This must first be understood by some. In my opinion, some still cannot comprehend the role of education in the comprehensive advancement of the country. There has been a strategic error among some officials in the past that has caused damages, and that is the underestimation of this vital institution. [Some officials] did not recognize the value and greatness and the dimensions of the impact of this vital institution; some viewed it as a nuisance and as a consumptive entity. I mention this because I have heard statements from individuals; they told me that, for example, suppose a certain amount of the national budget is allocated to education. What follows? What follows is outsourcing, which I will discuss later. That is, they viewed education as a nuisance; well, it is clear what the result will be.

In my opinion, overcoming the difficult hurdles of progress — which we are pursuing comprehensive advancement for the country and there are difficult hurdles in this path — is impossible without the help of education. Today, from the mouths of experts and specialists in economic, social, cultural, and even political fields, one hears that when discussing fundamental problems and the hard knots of the country, they seek the remedy in schools: if, for example, we had reached the school 20 or 25 years ago, today such and such a problem would not exist; specialists say this, experts say this, and this is correct; this is a completely correct perspective. The solution lies in reforming schools, in proper planning for schools and for the youth and adolescents; this is a reality that exists. Well, the perspective on education must be this perspective; if this perspective exists, there is hope that planning can be made on this basis, and if planning is done and there is effort, as I mentioned, it is feasible; that is, we have nothing impossible; all of this is achievable; however, first, the perspective must be correct, and then effort and diligence must follow. Well, so our first point is understanding the importance of the vital education system; everyone must know this; both the people, [and] the education system itself, and of course the officials of the country — the decision-makers and decision-takers in the legislative and mainly in the executive branches — must know how significant this institution is.

One important point that is often overlooked in our education system and is not given attention is the issue of management stability. In this institution of such magnitude and importance, we are experiencing instability. It was said:

"Whoever came built a new edifice, Left and went to another abode."

One comes, lays out a program, starts a task, [and with their departure] it is left half-finished, another comes. Here I was informed — of course, I could have understood it myself, but it was also in the reports — that from 2013 until now, which is ten years, we have seen five ministers and four heads in education! This is quite strange. Well, in our other ministries, [like] the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad, a minister stays for seven years, eight years, sometimes longer, in two governments; why is there such instability in the management of the Ministry of Education? You see, all long-term activities require management stability, including education, which has very long-term effects; that is, when you are planning for a teenager today, its effects must appear in twenty or thirty years. These require stability in management. Well, when a minister changes, many others also change; deputies change, directors change, middle managers change, and I have even heard that sometimes even at the level of school directors, changes occur with the minister's departure. This is also an issue.

Another point regarding education — which is one of the most fundamental points related to education — is the issue of the alignment or misalignment of the educational system and the structural system of education with the needs of the country. How much does the structure of our education — for example, the state of class divisions in elementary and high schools or [regional planning] and such things — and also the curriculum and scientific arrangement in this vast institution align with the needs of the country? This is one of the very important issues. Senior cultural officials in the country, especially in education itself, must think about this. Of course, the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution must also think about this, and that Supreme Council of Education must think about this, and the executive managers of education must also think about this. What does the country need, and what are we teaching this adolescent? Will this be useful for their future? Of course, the country needs thinking and knowledgeable forces; [but] what about labor forces? Do we not need them? Just as we need intellectual forces, we need labor forces at the national level, in all sectors; how do we organize this? Just as much as we need software, we need hardware.

Well, now what is the ratio of this general education that is prevalent in our high schools to vocational and technical education? I have often recommended vocational and technical education in the past! Well, now they said that it has increased somewhat, but there must be a balanced ratio. Or, for example, does skilled labor develop in our educational system? Skills in work, in necessary services, in production, and in such things. Well, education must think about these. Or this current path of our high schools; the current path is a pathway towards university; that is, this [path] that exists now is a corridor from elementary and high school towards university; is this necessary? Should everyone really go through this to reach university? Is this essential? Is this even beneficial for the country? A few days ago, I mentioned in a gathering of dear workers who were here — I think I said there — that we are converting a large number of high school graduates into unemployed and dissatisfied experts and advanced experts, who have the right to be dissatisfied; they have studied so much, but there is no suitable job for their studies. We must really think about these; we must consider them.

Are we distributing our human resources, which are more valuable than material resources, correctly? Our human resources are these adolescents and these young people; is the distribution of these in various educational sectors correct? These are important. Ultimately, the main policy in education must be the usefulness of education for the future of the country. What will we need in the country tomorrow? This must be thought about. Some years ago, one of my friends who was involved in education and such matters said that we have more engineers in our country, proportionate to our population, than in America! What do they focus on more? On the humanities; why? Because what governs the world is the humanities; politics, management, these are what drive and manage the policies and movements of the world; they focus more on this. Now, I do not want to recommend this; I do not want to say we should restrict engineering or what to do with the humanities; no, this must be considered that what does the country need today and tomorrow, and for what should we educate this young person? Beneficial knowledge, knowledge that will be useful for the future of the country; this must be among the primary concerns of education officials. This is another point.

Another point is the issue of transformation in education and the issue of this transformative document that has finally been prepared after a long delay. Regarding the transformative document, I have repeatedly said in previous meetings; I must say again; now there is hope that, God willing, there will be efforts in the system to implement these tasks. First, the transformative document must be continuously updated. It is true that the transformative document was prepared and it is a good document, but it is not a Quranic verse; not that it should be changed every day, but it must be updated and completed by experts.

Secondly, a roadmap is necessary for the implementation of the transformative document; this roadmap has not been prepared so far; that is, I am not aware of it; what has been reported to me is the same. A roadmap for implementing the transformative document has not been prepared; that is why there is no news of the transformative document in schools. The transformative document is a good thing; there are very good points in it, but in reality, in the educational environment, one does not see any effect or sign of the transformative document; this is because the roadmap has not been prepared. Therefore, the next point regarding the transformative document is that a roadmap must be prepared for it, and planning must be done for it.

The third point is that this roadmap must be supported by the government and the parliament. If they sit in education and discuss with experts, brainstorm, and finally create a roadmap for implementing the transformative document, but when they want to allocate the budget, problems arise, problems arise in the government, issues are raised in the parliament, well, it will not lead anywhere. The government and parliament must support it.

Furthermore, they should not create an alternative or competitor for the transformative document. The transformative document is a solid and good document; another document should not emerge from somewhere for transformation, confusing everyone about what to do and what not to do.

Additionally, in this roadmap I mentioned, there should be measurable indicators. Now, usually, measurable indicators are quantitative indicators, but sometimes in certain cases, a quantitative indicator may not be feasible, but the quality can be measurable; that is, they should specify some indicators for it, and then education should be continuously monitored to see if it has been realized, if progress has been made in this path, or not. These are necessary; that is, merely having a document is not enough. Now, of course, I have heard — he also said — that after eleven years, an independent line in the budget has been allocated for implementing the document; very good, congratulations, God willing! [If] it is realized, the work will progress, God willing, that is good. This is also a point regarding education.

Another very important matter in education is the recruitment of teachers, which is truly decisive. Today, we are facing a shortage of efficient and committed teachers. Many teachers across the country are dedicating their lives; there is no doubt about it; we know, we are aware, but at the same time, we also know this shortage. We are experiencing a shortage because it was not anticipated in the past. You see, when I said 'long-term work,' one of them is this; it was not anticipated in the past. Even when the Teacher Training University was to be established, some said this university would not be useful, it would not accomplish anything; well, thanks be to God, the university has progressed well, although its capacity is low. Even if the capacity of the Teacher Training University doubles, it may still be insufficient; it needs to have its capacity increased, its infrastructure improved, and truly needs assistance. The solution is this: we must invest. If the need for efficient, committed, and responsible teachers is accepted — which is certain and there is no alternative to accepting this; that is, everyone must acknowledge the need for teachers — this requires investment and effort. The institutions for training teachers, including the most important one, the Teacher Training University, must be strengthened so that they can carry out their work; both their infrastructures must be strengthened, and their capacities must be increased.

Of course, in addition to this, the professional competencies of teachers and their general competencies must also be monitored throughout their service; that is, merely monitoring at the beginning of their work is not sufficient; monitoring at the beginning is important, but continuity is also important. The way to do this is that the selection criteria should not be diluted; well, it has some difficulties; the selections within the framework of the criteria are somewhat strict, [but] do not let this difficulty cause these criteria to be diluted.

Experienced, faithful, and old teachers should also be utilized. I knew a teacher who taught for nearly seventy years, with sincerity; is this a joke? He passed away at the age of ninety-something; until the end of his life, perhaps until the very last moment, he did not leave the school; he went to school and came back; these are very valuable. Even if he teaches one word in school and faces a number of students, this has value; these should be preserved.

Another important matter is the issue of textbooks. Well, many recommendations have been made in this regard over the years, and there have been impacts, and good work has been done in the books, but the expectation one has from textbooks is that they should be filled with encouragement for the younger generation; that is, textbooks should excite the younger generation who read them. The type of writing in the book — regardless of the field [it is in] — should be such that it excites the student. Of course, the teacher also plays a role; in this regard, the quality of the teacher and the behavior of the teacher play a role, but the book can play a significant role in this regard.

Islamic concepts should be included in the books; as I mentioned, these can be included in all subjects, but appropriately; in the humanities, it can be one way, for example, in the natural sciences, it can be another way, but it can be included; both Islamic concepts and Iranian and Islamic figures should be introduced in the scientific books. We once were the leaders of science in the whole world. I heard from informed individuals that they said until a few years ago — for example, until ten, twenty, or thirty years ago; now I cannot say exactly — Ibn Sina's book 'The Canon' was prominent in important scientific centers in Europe and was translated. At the time they told me, the Canon, which Ibn Sina wrote in Arabic, had not been translated into Persian, [while] it had been translated into European languages, English, and French. Then, of course, it was translated; a very good translator worked hard, and honestly, a very excellent translation of the Canon has been prepared, which I have. That is how it is; we should introduce our scientific figures to our youth, showcase their scientific discoveries. Great works have been done in the history of science by Iranians; we should tell our youth about these; this encourages them and excites them.

And of course, the method of writing books must be attractive, up-to-date, and innovative. Now, when they say times have changed and are changing — which I also agree with — some who say times are changing mean that principles should change. In fact, principles do not change; principles remain valid over centuries. The principle of justice has existed since the beginning of the world; that [principle] does not change; the principle of fairness is the same, the principle of love is the same; these principles do not change. What changes are the superstructures; one of them is this: the way of dressing, the way of studying, the way of writing books, the way of writing articles, the way of composing poetry; these change. Write the book in a new way.

Another matter — which I previously mentioned — is the issue of outsourcing. This idea existed in the past among some officials in the country that we should separate education from the government and hand it over to the private sector and relieve the heavy burden of this budget from education! Their hands are sore; this is a good idea for destroying the country. The dignity of education and training is a governmental dignity; no system can separate this dignity from itself; it is inseparable from the governing system. The education and training of the country is the responsibility of the governing system of this country, and this is the case everywhere in the world. There are some exceptions, like these so-called 'non-profit' schools that now exist in the country; these are exceptions. The work of education and training and managing education [is a governmental task]; our constitution has explicitly stated this. Therefore, the issue of outsourcing has no meaning; this dignity of the governing institution cannot be delegated. This is another point.

In this regard — that the dignity is governmental — I want to mention two subsidiary points that are also important. One is the issue of public schools. Strengthening public schools is important. The country should not be in a situation where when 'public school' is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is the weakness of the school; this should not be the case. Good teachers, good educators, committed educators, acceptable educational environments must exist in public schools; this is the first point. When we neglect public schools, it means that if someone does not have the financial capacity to enroll in a school that charges tuition, they are forced to accept weakness; this means that someone who does not have financial capacity should also not have scientific capacity. This is absolute injustice; this injustice is absolutely unacceptable. So one is that public schools must benefit from good education, good teachers, and good educational environments.

The second issue is private schools. Of course, some private schools genuinely have interesting innovations and do very good work; we should utilize those innovations, but there must also be oversight over the entire collection of private schools. Education should not consider itself free from oversight over these schools. Of course, I mentioned that this does not mean that their innovations and new works that are done in some of these schools should be ignored or prevented; that does not mean it.

The last and very important issue is the issue of educational affairs. Well, I have heard that in the Education Headquarters, good attention is being paid to the issue of educational affairs — which is commendable, and we must thank them — but these educational programs must be seen in schools. There is not much news of [educational programs] in schools; now, there may be some in certain schools. Educational affairs must extend into schools. Many schools do not have educational deputies, do not have educational supervisors; this must be ensured. A very high percentage was reported to me, but since I do not have precise information, I will not mention it. In any case, many schools do not have educational deputies.

Another point regarding educational affairs is that the educational work must be attractive; it should not drive children away; it must be such that children are drawn towards it. Strengthening national identity, strengthening love for the homeland, strengthening the national flag, teaching Islamic and Iranian lifestyle are among the most essential tasks that must be carried out.

We are hopeful for the future of education, and God willing, the Almighty will assist, and you respected teachers can accomplish great tasks. God willing, the management of the Ministry of Education will be determined as soon as possible, and the officials of education will firmly and resolutely engage in their work, God willing, and advance the work. We send greetings to the souls of the martyrs of education and wish that the Almighty God also joins us with them and pleases the sacred heart of the Awaited Savior and the pure spirit of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified).

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.