The state organization for School Renovation, Development, and Equipment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, reporting to the Ministry of Education, is in charge of school facilities and equipment countrywide.9 In 2019, Iran’s Ministry of Education stated that the government was committed to improve the quality of education as well as school infrastructures.10 In January 2020, Tehran’s mayor stated that between 60 to 70% of schools in the city were unsafe while noting limited public funds due to the financial crisis.11 Reports have indicated the involvement of the Iranian Government in school-building projects abroad, notably in Syria. 12 13 Iran’s budget for education has been reportedly low compared to other low-income countries in the region,14 although it increased for the past few years15 but remains under the world average.16 The lack of resources for schools has been particularly felt in rural and remote areas. In border provinces, predominantly inhabited by ethnic minorities, the lack of schools and the prominence of poor infrastructures combined with the lack of access to basic services such as running water is reportedly severe, notably in the Sistan and Baluchestan province.17 In Khuzestan, children reportedly have to travel long distances to receive and education, and a significant number of schools are in makeshift facilities.18 19 There is a general shortage of teachers in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Female teachers reportedly lack in rural areas.20 Information gathered therefore suggest that the measures taken by the State to ensure that the State party’s policies, strategies and plans of action are supported with sufficient human, technical and financial resources, notably in terms of access to education, are either lacking or insufficient. Recommendation Status: This recommendation has NOT been implemented. 9 http://dres.ir/en/page/14/about-us Iran Press, https://iranpress.com/iran-i138709education_minister_our_priority_is_to_raise_the_quality_of_education_for_school_pupils 11 Iran Wire, https://iranwire.com/en/features/6660 12 Ibid. 13 Iran Press, https://iranpress.com/middle_east-i143081-tehran_ready_to_help_damascus_to_rebuild_and_re_equip_schools 14 Iran News Wire, https://irannewswire.org/irans-school-student-budget-one-quarter-of-world-average/ 15 Data World Bank https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS?locations=IR 16 Ibid. 17 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, July 2019, https://undocs.org/A/74/188 18 Centre for Supporters of Human Rights, http://en.cshr.org.uk/2016/10/02/education-sectors-share-state/ 19 European Ahwazi Human Rights Organization, 3 January 2016, https://www.ahwazna.org/en/article/11019 (Please note that the Ahwazi Arab communities use the spelling Ahwaz for a region explained in this article: https://unpo.org/members/7857 ) 20 Beyond the Veil: discriminations against women in Iran, https://minorityrights.org/wpcontent/uploads/2019/09/MRG_CFR_Iran_EN_Sept191.pdf 10 4