Iran is overhauling its education system to rid it of Western influence, the latest attempt by the government to fortify Islamic values and counter the clout of the country's increasingly secularized middle class.
Starting in September, all Iranian high school students will be introduced to new courses such as "political training" and "living skills" that will warn against "perverted political movements" and encourage girls to marry at an early age, Education Ministry officials say.
How long will it be before our government breaks out their playbook and take notes on how this works? I’m sure Homeland Security can use some pointers in forcing us ‘rowdy misfits’ into lockstep with their new policies.
Many students, professors and parents fear that the plans will undermine Iran's traditionally high academic standards. The three years of academic and curricular purges that followed the revolution, they say, stalled the intellectual development of Iranian youths. I think they are justified in their fears. I can’t think of one dictatorial regime that has any high level of education. But then with Allah on their side they don’t need education right? Having intelligent people running free in the streets just is not conducive to their ruling masters plans.
That country is going to implode if the ministry tries to get this misguided pipedream off the ground.
"It is not what we teach students which makes them support somebody or not," said Sadegh Zibakalam, a professor of political science at Tehran University. "How they act depends on how they are being treated by those in power."
