TEHRAN — One third of the schools in Iran are not earthquake resistant and would easily collapse by an earthquake of magnitude 5, Education Minister Ali-Asghar Fani said on Tuesday.

Fani made the remarks in a festival for the philanthropists who donate money for school construction here on Tuesday, Fars news agency reported.

“We need to make a move towards retrofitting schools’ buildings. The government and philanthropist can help in doing so,” the minister explained.

He stated that the current condition of the schools is scheduled to be improved by the end of the 6th five-year development plan (2021).

Last year, philanthropists spent 7.5 trillion rials (nearly $215 million) on constructing new schools and the number is expected to increase to 10 trillion rials (nearly $285 million) in this year, he added.

Out of 13.5 million students 2.5 million are studying at the schools built by philanthropists, he said, adding, in general one fifth of the classes are built by contributions made by such benefactors.

Since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran (1979), seven classes have been built by philanthropists nationwide on average per day, Fani noted.

MQ/MG