Iran bans teaching of English language in primary schools to fight against western cultural invasion

Tehran, January 8: In a bid to fight against western cultural invasion after a week of mass protests against the country's leadership, Iran has banned the teaching of English in primary schools.

 

Notably, Iran on Sunday banned the teaching of English in primary schools after Islamic leaders warned that learning the language opened the way to a Western 'cultural invasion'. Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech to teachers that it does not mean opposition to learning a foreign language, but a promotion of a foreign culture in the country and among children, young adults and youths.

“Western thinkers have time and again said that instead of colonialist expansionism the best and the least costly way would have been inculcation of thought and culture to the younger generation of countries,” he added.

The head of the state-run High Education Council, Mehdi Navid-Adham state that teaching English in government and non-government primary schools in the official curriculum are against laws and regulations. “This is because the assumption is that, in primary education, the groundwork for the Iranian culture of the students is laid,” he added.

Interestingly, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is often criticized by Iran's Islamic leaders and was warned about the dangers of a cultural invasion. The teaching of English in Iran usually starts between the ages of 12 to 14 but some primary schools below that age also hold language classes.

However, the move comes after a week of mass protests against the country's leadership which spread to more than 80 cities and small towns and left at least 21 dead.