Iranian schools reopen after 7 month closure, with COVID death toll above 22,000
Rouhani vows ‘education will not be closed in our country even under the worst situation,’ as many medical experts warn reopening could lead to rise in infections
Students and their teacher attend class after the opening ceremony of the Hashtroudi school in Tehran, Iran, September 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran on Saturday opened the new school year after nearly seven months of closure.
In a video conference, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the education of 15 million students is as important as the health system.
“Education will not be closed in our country even under the worst situation,” he said, urging authorities to implement health measures in schools to the level of those in military garrisons.
The reopening of schools came as many expressed concern over a possible increase in infections, including medical professionals.
“The national COVID-19 task force should defend lives of millions of students,” said Abbas Aghazadeh, a member of the board of the medical council. “Prevent physical reopening of all schools across the country.”
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Editionby email and never miss our top stories
A student disinfects his hands as he enters the Hashtroudi school in Tehran, Iran, September 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Iran has so far used distance learning via internet apps and TV programs. Authorities say the system will continue for undergraduate university students.
Iran’s death toll from COVID-19 has so far passed 22,000, out of 382,772 confirmed cases. The country has had the first and worst outbreak in the region.
Advertisement
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
