Iran’s school reopening leaves education under the shadow of renewed conflict
Children have begun returning to classrooms after months of online learning, while schools in southern provinces are due to remain virtual for two weeks amid fears of renewed US bombing.
Iranian children have begun returning to classrooms for the new school year after months of war-related online learning. In southern provinces, including Minab, schools and universities are due to continue online teaching for the first two weeks because of fears of renewed US bombing, Al Jazeera reported.
Schools across Iran closed when US and Israeli air raids began on 28 February, according to the report. The Education Ministry says 1,288 schools were directly or indirectly damaged during the war, and that many have since been repaired or rebuilt.
In Minab, the Shajareh-ye Tayyebeh Elementary School remains in ruins, with a new building built in its place. Al Jazeera reported that a strike near the school on the war’s first day killed at least 120 children and 35 adults; the figures have not been independently verified in the supplied material.
The Education Ministry says it has strengthened online-learning infrastructure in case schools return to virtual teaching. Families and teachers told Al Jazeera that memories of the conflict continue to shape the return to school, while months of remote lessons disrupted routines and student-teacher relationships.
Teachers also raised concerns that students without internet access could be excluded if learning moves online again. The two-week online period in southern provinces is described as a current plan; no end date or subsequent decision was provided.
