Pezeshkian calls students Iran’s ‘most important social capital’; urges education reform
President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday students were the country’s “most important asset and social capital”, urging education officials to change their approach to teaching, promote teamwork and focus on problem-solving.
Speaking at the 39th national meeting of education officials in Tehran, Pezeshkian stressed educational equality and greater attention to disadvantaged areas, calling on teachers and administrators to shift their focus towards improvement, IRNA reported.
The president said capable people in schools were the country’s greatest asset, while mines and industries were simply tools to be placed in the hands of Iran’s experts and children.
“Our greatest pride is our human resources and our children,” he said.
He urged teachers to teach students to serve their country, take responsibility, live well and believe that all problems could be overcome through unity and cohesion.
Referring to regional tensions, Pezeshkian said Israel had plunged the Middle East into instability, making scientific and comprehensive investment in children essential.
He said educational equality meant addressing the needs of all social groups, rather than focusing only on students with special circumstances. The government, he said, must recognize the needs of all sections of society for equality to be properly implemented.
Pezeshkian urged education officials to break out of existing mindsets and teach students problem-solving, teamwork and group-based learning.
Every student had a talent, he said, and those talents could succeed in solving problems when brought together.
“Accepting the status quo would lead to stagnation adding that reaching ambitious goals first required the belief that they could be achieved,” he said.
Changing teaching and management methods, improving efficiency and using new technologies could create different paths to excellence, he said.
The president also said that teachers should be given room for creativity and administrators should avoid excessive orders and instructions.