Full Breakdown
Iranian Schools Resume Amid War Aftermath
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Background: February 28 War and the Minab School Bombing
The United States and Israel began air strikes against Iran on February 28, prompting nationwide school closures. On the first day of the conflict, a double-tap strike hit Shajareh-ye Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, destroying the building and killing at least 120 children and 35 adults. The school’s ruins remain, while a new structure has been erected for the new academic year.
Ministry of Education Response
The Ministry of Education reported that 1,288 schools were directly or indirectly damaged during the hostilities. It has repaired many facilities and built new classrooms, and introduced a “Sacrifice and Martyrdom Bell” into the curriculum to teach about the two recent US-Israel wars. Anticipating possible renewed attacks, the ministry said it has strengthened online-learning infrastructure so that schools can shift back to virtual teaching if needed. It also announced that classes in Iran’s southern provinces, including Minab, will remain online for the first two weeks of the term as a precaution.
Voices from Parents and Teachers
Parents describe lingering fear. One father in Tehran, who uses only his first name for security, said he cannot shake the anxiety of a possible renewed war and the difficulty of reaching his child’s school. A teacher from Minab, who lost his wife and a child in the bombing, expressed that his life “will never return to normal.” Teachers in Tehran noted that four of the past nine months were spent online, damaging student-teacher relationships and making routine establishment “almost impossible.” They are now planning group activities early in the school year to mitigate the risk of another shift to virtual classes, while also worrying that students without internet access could be left out.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I can’t shake the anxiety that if the war starts again and they call us and tell us to come pick up our children from school, how long it will take me to get myself to the school and bring my child home,” — Meysam
- “We are planning our lessons while being advised to carry out as many group activities as possible during the first few months of the school year because there is concern that the war could start again and education could once again be moved online,” — Amir