Iran education officials address teacher recruitment and classroom density

Iranian education officials are addressing teacher recruitment and classroom density in light of a declining student population. Rezvan Hakimzadeh, Deputy of Primary Education at the Ministry of Education, noted that while the national student population is decreasing, teacher recruitment should not be immediately reduced. He emphasized that achieving ideal classroom density—the standard being 20 students per class, with a maximum of 26—could take over a decade to reach through the transition to single-shift schooling.

Hakimzadeh highlighted that high classroom density, sometimes exceeding 35 to 40 students, negatively impacts learning equity and the individual time students receive from teachers. He argued that the gap between current conditions and international standards remains significant.

In the Qom province, Abbas Eskandari Pour, Deputy of Research and Planning, reported that there is currently no shortage of teachers across any subjects or grade levels for the upcoming school year. He also noted that 93 percent of students in the province have already ordered their textbooks, with the distribution process underway to ensure delivery to schools by the start of the academic year.