TEHRAN – A retired teacher, he is now back at work because of his passion for teaching, as part of an initiative run by the Literacy Movement Organization (LMO).

Mr. Mohammadi is providing education to Afghan children in the city of Mashhad, northeastern Khorasan Razavi province, by helping to identify children who could not enroll.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) supports the LMO and Mr. Mohammadi in this regard, the NRC website reported.

In parts of Iran, schools are struggling to keep up with demand, following an influx of new students from Afghanistan.

The dedicated ex-teacher has set up a classroom in his own home to meet the ever-growing needs.

“The only school in our neighborhood was full, while the ground floor of our house was empty. So, my wife and I decided to hold classes here,” explained Mr. Mohammadi.

An inclusive policy brings challenges

In 2015, the Government of Iran issued a decree allowing all children to study in Iranian public schools, regardless of their nationality or documentation status.

Due to this inclusive policy, approximately 730,000 Afghan children were able to attend local schools in the 2022/23 academic year.

However, because of limited capacity and a lack of catch-up classes at appropriate grade levels, many Afghan children do not currently attend school.

Mashhad is the capital of Khorasan Razavi, bordering Afghanistan. It hosts a large number of Afghans who have entered Iran either through official crossing points or via irregular routes.

At Sheikh Sadoogh school, close to the city, catch-up literacy classes are being held for Afghan refugee children and Iranian children in two shifts each day. Still, the increasing demand for education in the area poses a serious challenge.

“These children are 10 years old and younger, so they need to study somewhere close to where they live,” said Mr. Mohammadi.

Turning ideas into reality

“My wife and I decided to use the ground floor of our house for holding literacy classes,” said Mr. Mohammadi.

When they started the classes, the floor was bare and children had to sit on the ground. Mr. Mohammadi and his wife wanted to prepare a proper classroom with benches and a whiteboard, just like what other students experience in school.

“Since school equipment, in general, belongs to the Ministry of Education and cannot be taken out of schools, my wife and I bought benches and boards, so the students don’t have to sit on the ground,” he explained with pride.

Right now, Mr. Mohammadi teaches the boys while his wife, who is also a former teacher, teaches the girls.

Dedicated to a brighter future

Not only has Mr. Mohammadi provided many children with the opportunity to develop the skills they need to enter formal education, but he has also built strong relationships with parents, raising awareness about the need for children to continue coming to school.

Some of the country’s most marginalized children now have the chance to enroll and study alongside their friends. In Mr. Mohammadi’s class, 90 percent of students have already confirmed their registration for the upcoming 2023/24 school year.

NRC in Iran

Since 2012, NRC Iran has been assisting displaced Afghans in Iran as well as their Iranian host communities, working to improve protection and access to basic humanitarian services across ten provinces (Alborz, Tehran, Yazd, South Khorasan, Hormozgan, Kerman, Khorasan Razavi, Marzaki, Semnan, and Sistan-Baluchestan).

Since mid-2021, NRC Iran has scaled up its work significantly in connection with recent developments in Afghanistan, while maintaining all existing programs in Iran.

NRC continues to increase access to quality primary education for out-of-school Iranian and Afghan children across the country. In 2023 to date, almost 2,200 vulnerable children have attended the classes.

MG