In a statement issued on January 13, 2007, it describes the volatile state of the universities and colleges in Iran, in particular subsequent to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s ascendancy to power.
What follows are excerpts from the statement:
“1. Undoubtedly, the most important task of a university is to generate science. Despite having abundance of creative youths, the Iranian universities have no place in the scientific world. Globally, Iran’s share in generation of science is less than one percent and its schools have no rankings among the first 2000 schools world around…The policies of current Ministry of Higher Education (MHE) which amounts to no clear plan for improving the situation is deplorable.
2. In the current Iranian fiscal year, contrary to the astronomical oil revenues, the budget for scientific research at the universities has been cut by 30 percent when at the same time the MHE increased the number of school admissions by 42 percent. More interesting is the fact that the increase in school admissions are in the curriculums that require high tuitions. By doing so the government is actually widening the social gap.
The increase in school admissions occurs when 40 percent of Iranians between 30 and 35 years of age are unemployed already.
It simply means that the policy to increase the number of attendees has an inverse effect on the job market and translates into adding more people to the unemployment lines. The 42 percent increase in admissions also comes at a time when the budget for the MHE is cut by 20 percent.
3. Coupled with structural problems, the Disciplinary Committee at MHE creates fear among the students by handing down harsh probations. Such treatment of dissidents at schools also serves as cover up for improper policies.
Forced retirement for senior professors is another tactic to purge the universities from any voice of discontent.
4. Above all what had happed to dissident students at Iranian schools is unprecedented in the history of higher education in the country. The dissident students were marked and the Ministry of Higher Education, Mohammad-Mehdi Zahedi who had for so long denied such a classification of students admits that it exists. It is obvious that a high ranking official at any other administration in the world would be penalized with such a record. More than 300 students have been summoned before the Disciplinary Committee this year.
5. The student associations critical of MHE were the target of new surges by the authorities. Fifty seven student publications and 35 student bodies were closed down. Among them 12 Islamic associations were dissolved. It is worth noting that current surges against students raised international outrage against the Ahmadinejad’s government.
6. Suicide and addiction among students are two other components of the MHE’s record. In past year and a half (Persian calendar starting March 21) in a period of four months, 28 suicides were reported in schools. The actual number is much higher but the ministry stopped reporting them. Lack of extra-curricula activities such as camping and poetry reading nights have contributed to stress and anxiety in the student population which eventually leads to drug addiction. Drug addiction among university students is unprecedented. At least 150,000 students use drugs in Iran every month.
Widening social gaps, cutting down research budgets at higher education research centers by 30 percent, increasing admissions to universities by 42 percent notwithstanding the job market and how the school graduates will be absorbed, a sharp decline in health and human services for students, a rise in the number of suicides among students, a ban on most social activities in schools which resulted in drug use by 150,000 students every month, crackdown on dissident students as well as a forced retirement for senior staff members… dissolving 35 dissident student organizations and summoning nearly 300 students before the Disciplinary Committees, are the direct result of decisions made by the Education Minister; the record of current administrators at the Ministry of Higher Education is filled with misdeeds as indicated above. A summery of which was just mentioned….."