English Downgraded To 'Optional' At Iran’s Schools

Fatemeh Ramezani, the Secretary of the Curriculum and Training Commission of the Supreme Council of Education, said Sunday that "students must learn a foreign language during their junior and senior secondary education, but this language is not necessarily English."

She said that instead of English, students can choose French, German, Italian, Russian, Chinese, and Spanish, as well as additional courses in Arabic.

Ramezani emphasized that Arabic "as the language of the Qur'an" is mandatory in the first and second year of secondary education.

In January, the Islamic Republic announced its intention to change the content of textbooks in foreign language schools after criticism by Iran’s ruler Ali Khamenei.

The head of the body for non-governmental schools, Ahmad Mahmoudzadeh, told ILNA: “We will have a call to produce content of language books for schools, which will be implemented in line with the order of the Supreme Leader,” suggesting locally produced, more religious material would replace any taught content.

Ali Khamenei has criticized teaching English in general, deemed the language of the West which he commonly refers to as 'the enemy'. In 2016 he criticized its being taught as early as kindergarten, leading the ministry of education to subsequently ban teaching English in primary schools.

In recent years, some government officials have also suggested that instead of English, the teaching of Russian, Chinese and German languages should be supported in Iran.