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Charity builds 150 schools nationwide

mahla — Wed, 11 May 2022 06:42:11 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Barekat Charity Foundation, affiliated with the Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam, inaugurated 150 schools across the country on Tuesday, IRIB reported.

“We have so far built 1,800 schools for the deprived, and some 150 with 665 classrooms began operation today,” Mohammad Torkamaneh, the CEO of Barekat Foundation said.

The foundation is committed to building 2,700 schools with 14,000 classrooms.

Some 3,750 villages across the country are covered by the Barekat Foundation’s school-building activities, he added.

According to Torkamaneh, there are currently 250,000 students in Barekat schools.

The actions of the executive staff of the Foundation in the field of economy and employment have led to 200,000 economic projects and 600,000 job opportunities, and deprived areas have grown.

Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam was founded in 1989. In the Iranian calendar year, 1386 (March 2017-March 2018) Barekat Charity Foundation- the social arm of the organization- with the aim of promoting social justice was established.

Socio-economic empowerment of communities by encouraging entrepreneurship prioritizing breadwinner women, developing infrastructures such as water supply and power grids, building roads, constructing schools and increasing educational spaces, promoting health for all, and granting non-repayable loans and insurance, especially in less developed areas and regions most affected by 1980s war and natural disasters are of the priorities of the charity foundation.

School building benefactors have allotted a total of 34 trillion rials (nearly $130 million) to construct educational spaces across the country over the past [Iranian calendar] year (March 2021-March 2022), ISNA reported.

Due to the promotion of the culture of participation in school construction, school-building donors allotted trillion rials (nearly $130 million) last year, which was 170 billion rials (around $650) in 1998 when the Association of School-Building Donors was established, Education Minister Yousef Nouri said on Sunday.

According to Nasser Ghofli, the director of the Association, 400 school-building charities have been registered in the country so far.

Iran has many school-building benefactors amounting to 650,000 people inside and 1,000 people outside the country.

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Schools officially reopen after two years

mahla — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 11:46:57 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – All educational centers and universities started operation in person on Sunday, after 25 months of online education due to the coronavirus pandemic, IRIB reported.

Following the decision of the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control and President Ebrahim Raisi, all universities affiliated with the ministries of science and health, and schools affiliated with the ministry of education, must operate in person on April 3 as the new cases of the disease have notably reduced.

Science Minister Mohammad-Ali Zolfigol stated that the health of students and academics while attending the universities in person is our priority.

Zolfigol attended the university and school reopening ceremony at the University of Tehran on Sunday.

“If for any reason it is not possible for students to attend courses, they can apply for online education,” he said.

“One of the effective ways to create jobs, especially for university graduates, is knowledge-based companies, so we are determined to use the great potential of the university community along with science and technology parks and centers,” Zolfigol noted.

All educational centers in Iran have been closed since February 2020.

In order for students to keep in touch with their studies, the Ministry of Education launched a homegrown mobile application on April 9, called SHAD, providing students with distance learning programs. More than 60 percent of students and 94 percent of teachers attended 64 percent of classes through the SHAD app, whose acronym in Persian translates as the Students Education Network.

Moreover, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) also began to broadcast televised educational programs on a daily basis after school closures.

Due to the vaccination and the reduction of transmission, schools are gradually reopened since September 2021, and about 15 million students across the country attended schools with strict observance of health protocols. However, the fifth wave of the pandemic prevented the students to enjoy face-to-face education.

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Iran President Lauds Helping Schools to Reopen

reporter 1222 — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 08:22:44 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani thanked the Ministry of Education, teachers, principal s, and officials for helping reopen schools across the country after a hiatus of seven months due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Sunday evening, Rouhani thanked teachers and the Education Ministry and said, “Education is just one of the functions of schools, and virtual education is not a complete alternative to the school institution”.

He added, “Training, fostering creativity, growing collective spirit, cooperation, and socialization are other functions of school, which caused us to try to activate the school institution by protecting the health of the children of Islamic Iran”.

Millions of students headed back to schools across Iran on Saturday under health protocols. Schools had been shut in early March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Iran rang in the new school year two weeks earlier than usual amid special COVID-19 measures. This year classes will be held through a combination of in-classroom, online and televised sessions.

Iran has been contending with the coronavirus pandemic amid US sanctions, which have seriously hampered efforts to contain the outbreak.

At least 384,666 people have been infected with COVID-19 in Iran as of Sunday. More than 22,000 have died, while 332,000 have recovered.

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Iran Schools Opened After Seven Months

reporter 1222 — Sun, 06 Sep 2020 04:30:12 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran on Saturday opened the new school year after nearly seven months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“This year, we shoulder a heavier burden of responsibility toward our students,” said President Hassan Rouhani, who oversaw the opening of schools in a video conference broadcast live on state television.

“Education will not be closed in our country even under the worst situation,” he said, urging authorities to implement health measures in schools to the level of those in military garrisons.

Education and health are equally important to society, he said, but added that parents would not be forced to send their children back to school.

Several medical professionals have voiced concern over the reopening of schools and universities in Iran, which is the worst-hit country by the coronavirus pandemic in West Asia.

Concerns over reopening of schools

Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi, the government-appointed head of Iran’s Medical Council, said in a letter to the education minister that the “surprise decision to reopen schools would no doubt lead to an increased burden” on the country’s medical workers.

On Tuesday, Iran’s Education Minister Mohsen Haji-Mirzaei defended the government’s decision to reopen the schools, saying that there is no alternative to face-to-face education.

He said that face-to-face education is better than other types of education in terms of quality.

However, the Education Ministry has announced that some parts of the country, for now being limited to red cities, will provide online education. In the orange and green zones, in-person teaching will be the option.

Haji-Mirzaei noted that a hiatus in education will pose a psychological risk to students and society in the future.

He added that the health of students and their families and the continuation of education are the government’s most important priorities for taking any decision.

Since late February, Iran has been struggling to contain the country’s COVID-19 outbreak, the deadliest in West Asia.

Iran closed schools, canceled public events and banned intercity travel in March. The government, however, began to progressively lift restrictions in April to gradually reopen its sanctions-hit economy.

New coronavirus figures

The country’s Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari on Saturday put the death toll from the novel coronavirus at 22,154, saying the disease took the lives of 110 patients from Friday to Saturday.

The number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 infection rose to 384,666, following the detection of 1,894 new cases during the same period, the spokeswoman added.

She added that at least 332,131 patients have recovered from the coronavirus infection so far or have been discharged from hospitals across the country.

Among those undergoing treatment in medical centers at present, 3,708 patients are in critical health condition, Lari noted.

IRNA, Tasnim and Reuters contributed to this story.

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Schools Preparing for New Education Year

reporter 1222 — Thu, 03 Sep 2020 04:12:58 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Schools in Iran are preparing to begin the new year as new infections and deaths from the coronavirus have dwindled in recent weeks.

On Wednesday, the Health Ministry reported 1,858 new coronavirus cases from Tuesday to Wednesday, bringing the total number of the infections to 378,752.

The Education Ministry on Tuesday announced plans for reopening of schools across Iran, which is the worst-hit country in the West Asia.

“Excluding regions with high numbers of COVID-19 cases, all schools will start education with in-person attendance in the new school year on September 5,” Iranian Education Minister Mohsen Haji-Mirzaei said.

He stressed that classes in high-risk regions will be held online.

Health Ministry’s spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari put the death toll from coronavirus in Iran at 21,797, saying the disease took the lives of 125 patients from Tuesday to Wednesday, according to IRNA.

Of the new cases detected since Wednesday, 1,136 patients have been admitted to the hospital, she added.

Among those undergoing treatment in medical centers at present, 3,693 coronavirus patients have critical health conditions because of more severe infection, Lari noted.

She said that at least 326,800 patients have recovered from the coronavirus infection so far or have been discharged from hospitals.

Iran has been battling to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak since announcing its first cases on February 19.

Authorities have made wearing masks mandatory in enclosed spaces and reimposed restrictions lifted gradually since April.

While working on production of a vaccine for the disease, Iran is seeking to buy vaccines so far developed by other countries against the coronavirus.

On Sunday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani ordered the Health Ministry to make all the arrangements necessary for the purchase of vaccines developed by other countries, according to Tasnim News Agency.

The vaccines should be procured soon and undergo all the tests and trials inside Iran as the country is facing the second wave of the COVID-19 crisis, he added.

Russia said on August 11 that it had developed the world’s first vaccine offering “sustainable immunity” against COVID-19 and was in the final stage of human trials.

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Trump Planning to Send Masks to Schools

reporter 1222 — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 08:14:45 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – US President Donald Trump announced a plan Wednesday to send 125 million reusable masks to schools throughout the country and deploy CDC teams to those that need help reopening for in-person learning.

The president’s proposal, still short on public details, follows his continual plea for schools to welcome students back to classrooms despite gridlock in negotiation over a stimulus package that holds the promise of billions of dollars to help aid that reopening and facilitate distance education amid the pandemic.

“We got to open up. We got to open up our schools and open up our businesses,” Trump said during a White House briefing. “And a lot of it has been opened. But we can do better.”

Trump said earlier Wednesday that he wants federal funding to “follow the student” under the stimulus package being debated on Capitol Hill.

“We’re having a hard time with the Democrats. They want the money to follow the union,” he said, questioning why extra federal aid would go to schools that do not open for in-person instruction.

The president also offered recommendations and guidance for schools to protect “high-risk” teachers and students from the coronavirus, including through self-health assessments, frequent hand washing, minimizing large gatherings, improved classroom ventilation and social distancing. He said masks should be encouraged when social distancing is not possible.

“Those advocating for a never-ending blanket nationwide lockdown have no answer for what it would do to the mental, physical and social health of millions of American children and people,” Trump said.

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten called the White House recommendations “almost comical in their lack of detail and rigor” and said the administration “simply sketched out what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention produced months ago.”

“There’s no mention of the testing for kids and teachers or the threshold of community spread for schools to open,” Weingarten said. “They seem to finally understand the importance of ventilation and social distancing, but what are they doing to make it a reality?”

The stimulus plan Senate Republicans unveiled last month would boost school choice policies and set aside tens of billions of dollars in new funding for schools that reopen. But the battle over new coronavirus relief funds has stalled and could drag into September.

Pluralities of registered voters said this month that federal money for schools should neither be increased nor decreased, regardless of whether they open virtually or for in-person instruction, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll.

Trump has been calling for schools to fully reopen and lashed out at hybrid learning plans on Wednesday, saying “the concept of every other day” at school is “ridiculous,” despite guidance to the contrary from leading health experts. The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned against a “one-size-fits-all approach.”

“If you are going to do it, you do it,” the president said. “If you are not going to do it, the concept of going back … every other day seems very strange.”

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Schools to Reopen Based on Odd-Even Plan: Iranian Education Minister

reporter 1222 — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 07:09:43 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Students will go to schools on an odd-even plan in the new educational year as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread in the country, Iran’s education minister announced.

All schools in Iran will reopen on September 5 based on previous plan, Mohsen Haji Mirzaee said on Wednesday.

He added that students of both urban and rural schools with high population density will be divided into two groups in the new school year, some attending on even days and some on odd days.

The Iranian minister further said that in low-risk areas with a low population of students, schools will have a normal routine, and the use of cyberspace to provide education will continue.

The number of coronavirus positive cases who have recovered from the viral disease in Iran has surpassed 290,000, the Health Ministry’s spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Sima Sadat Lari put the death toll from the coronavirus in the country at 18,988, saying the disease had taken the lives of 188 patients over the previous 24 hours.

She also noted that at least 290,244 patients have recovered from the coronavirus infection so far or have been discharged from hospitals across Iran.

The number of people infected with COVID-19 across the world has surpassed 20.8 million and the death toll has exceeded 747,000.

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UK PM Talks of Schools Reopening in September

reporter 1222 — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 12:00:56 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said reopening schools in September was a social, economic, and moral imperative and insisted they would be able to operate safely despite the ongoing threat from the pandemic.

His comments follow a study earlier this month which warned that Britain risks a second wave of COVID-19 this winter twice as large as the initial outbreak if schools reopening happens without an improved test-and-trace system.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Johnson said reopening schools in September was a national priority. Schools would be the last places to close in future local lockdowns, he was quoted by another newspaper as telling a meeting on Thursday.

Schools in England closed in March during a national lockdown, except for the children of key workers, and reopened in June for a small number of pupils.

The government wants all pupils to return to school by early September in what Johnson has called a “national priority”.

“Keeping our schools closed a moment longer than absolutely necessary is socially intolerable, economically unsustainable and morally indefensible,” Johnson wrote, Reuters reported.

The economic costs for parents who cannot work if schools are shut are spiraling, and the country faces big problems if children miss out on education, the prime minister warned.

“This pandemic isn’t over, and the last thing any of us can afford to do becomes complacent. But now that we know enough to reopen schools to all pupils safely, we have a moral duty to do so,” he wrote.

The Sunday Times newspaper reported that he has ordered a public relations campaign to ensure schools open on time and told the meeting last week that they should be the last places to close behind restaurants, pubs, and shops.

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Minister: Schools resume activity on May 16

reporter 1222 — Tue, 12 May 2020 10:24:12 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – All schools in Iran will reopen as of Saturday, May 16, after almost three months of closure in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the minister of education announced.

Speaking to the state TV on Tuesday, Iranian Education Minister Mohsen Haji Mirzaee said the schools will reopen on coming Saturday.

The teachers and school staff will be available at schools in the working hours, and the students will attend classes to ask their questions and get prepared for the exams, the minister added.

The schools can also run the final exams as of next week as soon as the students’ problems with the lessons are addressed, Haji Mirzaee noted.

The education minister underlined that all schools across the country have received the health protocols and instructions from the Health Ministry and will be obligated to observe the health rules when the students return to classes.

The educational centers in Iran have been closed since late February following the outbreak of COVID-19.

While the pandemic shut down schools and forced people to stay home to prevent the spread of the disease, the Ministry of Education launched a homegrown mobile application, dubbed SHAD (HAPPY), providing students with distance learning programs.

Moreover, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) also began to broadcast televised educational programs on a daily schedule immediately after the school closures.

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School Attendance Optional amid Coronavirus Outbreak: Moscow

reporter 1222 — Sat, 14 Mar 2020 09:39:03 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Moscow will make school attendance optional starting on Monday in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus, its mayor said on Saturday.

Russia has recorded 45 cases of the virus as of Friday.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 24 residents of the city were infected and that new measures were needed to stop the virus from spreading further.

“Parents will decide whether their child will keep going to school or remain home,” Sobyanin wrote on his website, Reuters reported.

“Every family can have different circumstances and kids’ immunity is different.” He said the measure would remain in place until further notice.

The Russian authorities have suspended many flights to and from coronavirus-hit countries and are screening passengers returning home and ordering them to remain in self-isolation for two weeks even if they do not experience any symptoms.

Sobyanin said on Saturday that people living with those returning from countries heavily affected by the virus would also need to remain in isolation.

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