#Ahwazna – Inequalities are further aggravating the education sector of Ahwazi disadvantaged areas

Ahwazna

Ahwazi Arab students in Khormoj County due to enormous negligence and deprivation are grappling with many barriers for pursuing their education. The degraded quality of education, the lack of teaching staff, the absence of sufficient educational space and facilities, run-down and the limited number of schools have resulted in high dropout among  the Arab students. The informed sources said, “The basic education at elementary stages due to the dominance of improper education system is so weak and non-standard.” “Rural schools consist of three classes with one or two teachers.  It means the six elementary grades are divided into three classes. And one or two teachers are undertaking teaching the whole students hence how it could be possible that one or two teachers meet the educational needs of all students.” “Off course, they are not able to fulfill the demands of the students. Therefore, the deprived students after preceding the elementary grades would face with great difficulties and frustration at upper stages like middle schools due to their problems in lessons such as mathematic that more likely would lead them to drop out of the schools.” In the past few years, due to the worsening situation especially in the middle and high schools levels many of the Arab students have begun to give up on their education and leave the schools for ever. The major reason for education crisis is attributed to the severe shortage of well- qualified teaching staffs. The lack of teachers in materials including Mathematics, physics, and chemistry lessons is often causing the classes to be very overcrowded. It is reported that the overcrowding problem is frequently reaching 100 students in one class albeit; the class has the capacity of holding less than 35 students. The schools and classes are semi-dilapidated and in many occasions roof collapses were happened in the rainy season causing the students to feel insecure and anxious about rickety roof of their classes. Instead, parents stop sending their children to schools in rainy days. In addition, most of the schools both in rural and urban areas are suffering from countless problems related to the poor health conditions as a result of lack of hygienic facilities.  For instance, there is a school with more than 500 students where there is only one toilet. Apart from the electricity problems, a lack of Air Conditioning and water coolers in the sweltering summer as the temperature reaches over 45 degrees Celsius in the Khormoj County. Khormoj County with approximately 100,000 Arab residents in Bushehr region is neglected and deprived of everything where there are only 30 schools and most of which need reparation and reconstruction. Some reports indicate that there are about 150 classes that have been described unfit and deemed unqualified for hosting students. Saeed Mansour Hamidan, the Executive Director of Ahwaz organization for the Defence of Human Rights stressed that Iranian occupying regime is deliberately and systematically spreading ignorance and illiteracy in Ahwazi territories, whereas offering the best educational amenities and services to Persian regions by the money obtained from the sale of the stolen oil and gas of Ahwazi Arab people. He adds the state of occupation used this vile method in order to maintain and reinforce their lingering occupation on Al-Ahwaz to effectively plunder its wealth and resources. This rogue state fears the spread of science and knowledge between Ahwaz Arab people because they know very well that this nation will not long remain silent about injustice, and inequity and oppression tolerated at the hands of the clerical occupying regime.