TEHRAN – The highest number of old and dilapidated schools in Iran are in the capital, Tehran, said director general of Tehran education department, adding that some of the schools are 80 to 100 years old.

Tehran is among the poorest provinces regarding schools’ strength and per capita school space, Tasnim quoted Abbasali Baqeri as saying on Tuesday.

He made the remarks on a ground breaking ceremony of a school in Tehran and with benefactors in attendance.

Touching on the dangers of dilapidated schools, he said that there are 264 schools active in the capital aging more than 60 years.

Some 2,500 public schools are operational in Tehran and every year 10 of them are added to long list of dilapidated ones, while only 3 to 4 new schools are established annually, he said, adding that this trend cannot compensate the high rate of old schools.

Some 30 percent of schools across the country and half of Tehran’s schools are ramshackle, said MP Masoumeh Olad-Qobad in the same event.

She further called for the help of benefactors to build new schools in Tehran.

MAH/MQ/MG