TEHRAN – Nearly 30,000 out-of-school students have resumed education in the current academic year, which started on September 23, 2025, according to an official with the Ministry of Education.
Currently, the number of unenrolled primary school students has dropped to 150,000 students, ISNA quoted Rezvan Hakimzadeh as saying.
The Ministry of Education has developed a plan, called Hami (supporter), to prevent school dropouts through providing ongoing educational support. The plan helps identify at-risk students to compensate for their educational deficiencies and boost their motivation in learning. Thanks to the implementation of the plan, over the past academic year, the number of out-of-school students and grade retention rates significantly lowered, she added.
Fostering intersectoral collaboration and focusing on quality education in primary schools are among other priorities to reduce school dropout rates, Hakimzadeh further noted.
Dropout rate declines in schools over two years
According to a report released by the Ministry of Education, the dropout rate lowered from 1.97 percent in the Iranian year 1401 (2022-2023) to 1.65 percent in 1403 (2024-2025).
The dropout rate in the academic year 1401-1402 (September 2022 – June 2023) amounted to 287,617 children, with 0.97 percent (87,544 students) in primary school, 4.09 percent (149,288 students) in lower secondary school, and 2.59 percent (50,785 students) in upper secondary school.
In the next academic year, the dropout rate was about 1.65 percent, accounting for 247,242 children of whom 0.91 percent (84,001 students) were in primary school, 3.47 percent (130,432 students) in the lower secondary school, and 1.65 percent (32,809 students) in the upper secondary school.
During the same period, the number of out-of-school students rose from 902,188 to 928,729.
In the academic year 1401-1402, out of 902,188 out-of-school children, 156,835, 195,568, and 549,785 were in primary school, lower secondary school, and upper secondary school, respectively.
However, in the next academic year (September 2023 – June 2024), the number of out-of-school children came to 928,729 students. Some 171,992, 198,109, and 558,628 students were in primary school, lower secondary school, and upper secondary school, respectively.
Out-of-school students are classified as those who have not enrolled in a school year, it includes children who may have passed away, immigrated, or those who suffer from severe mental retardation.
Compared to previous decades, the educational coverage index in Iran, particularly in the primary school, has improved, reaching about 98 percent.
Despite these efforts, the number of dropouts and out-of-school students indicates failure in fully achieving literacy goals.
MT/MG
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