The Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran raised
concerns about reports of Kurdish, Ahwazi Arab and Azerbaijani-Turk (or Azeri-Turk) lacking
access to education in their mother tongue. 5 6 These concerns were echoed by the U.N Secretary
General, 7 8 9 who noted that reports indicated that members of ethno-linguistic minorities,
including the Azeri community as well as Arabs, were being denied the opportunity to teach their
language in schools.10 The reported state-imposed ban on Azeri-Turkish being taught in school
would go some way in explaining such a struggle.11 The Ministry of Education has reportedly
circulated reminders to teachers and school administrators that the use of Kurdish and Turkish
languages inside public schools is forbidden.12 Furthermore, Kurdish language teachers have
been facing harassment and persecution.13 14 Education in some minority languages like Kurdish
is available only through private classes, reducing the accessibility and affordability of Kurdish
education. Furthermore, private teachers are required to obtain a license from the state to teach
Kurdish, which places an additional barrier to private practice.
In 2016, reportedly up to 40,000 Ahwazi Arab children were denied access to education for
failing the Farsi language proficiency test, although Farsi is their second language.15 In 2019,
Rezvan Hakim Zadeh, deputy of the regime’s elementary education department, announced that
the health assessment plan for pre-school children will include an evaluation of the children’s
level of proficiency and comprehension in Persian. Children who fail to pass the assessment will
not be able to attend State kindergartens, therefore severely limiting access to pre-primary
education for children from ethnic minorities, such as Ahwazi Arabs, Turks, Kurds and Balochis,
who will be directed to an intensive training in the Farsi language.16 17
The lack of access to mother tongue education in primary and secondary schools remains a major
challenge in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This access to the language at a young age is critical
5
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, January 2020,
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IR/Report_of_the_Special_Rapporteur_on_the_situation_of_human_rights_in_the_
Islamic_Republic_of_IranA4361.pdf
6
See more : Association for the human rights of the Azerbaijani people in Iran,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CRC/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CRC_NGO_IRN_19735_E.pdf
7
IRNA News, www.irna.ir/news/83404283/ (in Farsi).
8
Report of the U.N. Secretary General, January 2020, https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IR/Report_of_the_SecretaryGeneral_on_the_situation_of_human_rights_in_the_Islamic_Republic_of_IranA4320.pdf
9
Ibid.
10
Report of the U.N. Secretary General, August 2019, https://undocs.org/en/A/74/273
11
Center for Human Rights in Iran, https://iranhumanrights.org/2019/03/irans-intelligence-ministry-slaps-azeri-rights-activistwith-new-charges-claim-hes-organizing-protests-from-prison/
12
Minority Groups, https://minorityrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rights-Denied-Violations-against-ethnic-andreligious-minorities-in-Iran.pdf
13
Joint submission to the Human Rights Committee from All Human Rights for All in Iran, Association for Human Rights in
Kurdistan – Geneva, Association for the Human Rights of the Azerbaijani People in Iran, Iran Human Rights Documentation
Center, OutRight International, Siamak Pourzand Foundation, Small Media, Impact Iran, 2020,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CCPR/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CCPR_NGO_IRN_42317_E.pdf
14
Radio Zamaneh: https://www.radiozamaneh.com/519191
15
UNPO, https://unpo.org/article/19590
16
ISNA News https://www.isna.ir/news/99031005237/
17
Dur Untash Studies Center, https://www.dusc.org/en/drasat/3966/
2