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Iran bans teaching foreign languages to kids: ‘Identity of child being formed’
Iran foreign language ban: In June 2022, Iran's ministry of education signaled its plan to begin a "trial to teach French" in schools.
Iran banned teaching of all foreign languages, including English and Arabic, in kindergartens and primary schools, with immediate effect, state media reported. "The teaching of foreign languages is prohibited in kindergartens, nursery schools and primary schools, because at this age, the Iranian identity of the child is being formed," Massoud Tehrani-Farjad, an education ministry official, said as per IRNA news agency.
Iran had already banned the teaching of English in primary schools in 2018, although it is taught from secondary school onwards.
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"The ban on the teaching of foreign languages does not only concern English, but also other languages, including Arabic," Massoud Tehrani-Farjad said.
Persian is the only official language in Iran. In June 2022, Iran's ministry of education signaled its plan to begin a "trial to teach French" in schools across the country to "eliminate the monopoly of the English language".
In September, the country banned Iranian or dual-national students from attending international schools, saying children had an obligation to follow the country's school curriculum. The decision led to a sudden drop in the number of students in some international schools in Tehran, including French and German institutions, AFP reported.
