Iran proposes regional education network at ECO meeting
Iran has proposed establishing a regional education network among member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), Education Minister said on Friday.
Speaking at the fifth meeting of the board of trustees of the ECO Educational Institute, Alireza Kazemi called for greater protection of children’s right to education during conflicts
The education ministers from member states attended the meeting.
“Shared history and cultural heritage could serve as a foundation for regional cooperation in education, science and development,” Kazemi added.
He said more than 4,000 civilians had been killed in the war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran, including 331 students and 72 education workers.
About 1,500 educational facilities had also been damaged, he added.
Kazemi cited two planned attacks on an elementary school in Minab, in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, saying 168 children under the age of 12, both girls and boys, along with their teachers, had been killed.
Iran proposed creating a network connecting universities, teacher-training institutions and research centers across ECO member states.
It also called for expanded cooperation in artificial intelligence and other emerging educational technologies, stronger vocational training programs and measures to ensure children can continue their education during wars and other crises.
Kazemi urged member states to increase exchanges of students, teachers and specialists, describing educational cooperation as a form of diplomacy that could foster mutual understanding, solidarity and friendship across the region.
“Education is an investment in peace, resilience and the shared future of nations,” Kazemi said.
He called on ECO members to translate existing agreements into practical cooperation among schools, universities, teacher-training centers and other educational institutions.
“No child should become a victim of war and crisis,” he said, adding that lasting peace begins in the minds of future generations.