In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise is due to God, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master Muhammad, and upon his pure Progeny, especially the one remaining with God on earth
You are very welcome, dear brothers and sisters, teachers of the country, holders of the honor of guiding future generations. Whatever we say in praise of teachers is not enough. I hope that God the Exalted will help all of us – you and me– to do what makes Him pleased with us.
I thank the honorable Minister. He raised good points in his statements about the decisions that they have made and the plans that they have formulated. However, I wish to remind him and his entire organization that we do not have a shortage of good decisions, laws and plans. We have many good decisions, plans and the like, to your satisfaction. What is important is to implement and follow up these plans.
It is easy to establish a center, be that military centers or centers of other kinds including economic, cultural and other such centers. What is important is for these centers to be able to continue their work and produce good output. You should seek serious and diligent actions so that what you want to do – as I notice that you are attentive to important matters in the educational system – will be done. You should pursue them so that they will be finalized.
Well, the purpose of holding this annual meeting with our dear teachers – which underwent undesirable changes in the past one, two years because of the pandemic, but which was thankfully held this year in person – is to highlight the role of teachers in the public culture of the country. This is our goal.
We want teachers to be recognized. We want the value of teaching to become a well-established and eternal value in the mentality of the public, but this is not the case at the moment. We must do something to make teachers and their families feel proud of them and to make society regard them as honorable individuals. We must reach this point. This requires speaking and taking action. I will do the speaking part to some extent today.
The word “teacher’ has two functions, not one. The first function is to consider a teacher as an instructor and imparter of knowledge. Well, this is a lofty and noble value. God the Exalted Himself is a teacher: “For it is God that teaches you” [The Holy Quran, 2: 282] and “Taught man that which he knew not” [96: 5]. God attributes this quality to Himself. This is a very lofty value.
The same is true of prophets and the Holy Prophet of Islam: “And instructing you in scripture and wisdom” [2: 151]. “Teacher” has such a meaning. All sages, scholars, faqihs and great and outstanding personalities, such as our dear martyr [Shahid Ayatollah Mortadha] Motahhari, were teachers in this sense and this is a really great value. It means a person who imparts a certain kind of knowledge to another person. This is one function of a teacher.
Another function of teachers is teaching in the educational system, which is a different function. In the present time, our discussion concerns the second function. Our discussion does not concern the concept of a teacher in general, rather it concerns teaching in this sense. The value of the second function is twice as much as the first one. Why? Because the addressees of the latter are a group of people who are much more likely to be influenced by this form of teaching than teaching all other groups of people. The significance of teaching is this. This implies that a teacher in the educational system owns the value of the first function too. In addition, they work in an arena for which there is no other alternative and replacement.
Your addressees are at the best age for being influenced and trained. They are individuals who will not forget what you teach them for the rest of their lives. This is very important. We are constantly in the process of learning something. Depending on the age of different individuals and their memory capacity, we learn something on the one hand and forget it on the other hand, but we never forget what we learned during our childhood. We do not normally forget it. There is a famous Arabic saying which says, “Learning during childhood is like a carving on a piece of rock.” Learning at that age is like carving something on a stone in a careful and meticulous way. This will never be rubbed out and it will always be there. Your addressees are like this.
Well, I have frequently spoken about the new Islamic civilization and I used the phrase “The civilization of Islamic blossoming.” This is a civilization whose talents will blossom and show themselves at the right time. I have spoken at length about this. Human resources are the main infrastructure for every civilization. Who are these human resources in our country? Who can attain such a big goal in the future? A generation with certain attributes. Today, you want to cultivate this generation of people: a generation that is self-made, that has a firm and deep Iranian-Islamic identity, that is not infatuated with and deceived by the leftovers of the expired eastern and western civilizations.
This is a wise, knowledgeable and competent generation that is familiar with the Islamic lifestyle and Iranian traditions. Such a generation is needed to build that civilization. Since the beginning of the Revolution, we have wanted to develop this generation. Of course, it cannot be said that we have been totally unsuccessful. No, we have thankfully had certain achievements in various arenas. Individuals with such attributes were cultivated and showed their talents thanks to our teachers. This occurred in different areas, as you know perfectly: in the economy, the military, politics and other areas, but this is not enough.
If we intend to build that civilization in its complete form, we must expand this generation and this training in a comprehensive way. Therefore, if we decide to go along with this, there is no opportunity for the Islamic Republic which is better than the 12-year educational period. These 12 years are the biggest opportunity for the Islamic Republic to correctly convey the values and ideals of the Revolution to this generation and to instill the Islamic-Iranian identity in them. These 12 years are the best opportunity.
Well, this is the mission of the educational system and teachers. As you see, this is a great and gigantic task. It is not an ordinary and commonplace kind of teaching. This is a fundamental way of teaching. Fortunately, the ground is prepared for the educational system. That is, the government of the Islamic Republic has an extensive and nationwide organization named the Ministry of Education that stretches to the remotest areas of the country and the depth of cities and villages. Well, this is a very important opportunity.
And in this vast spectrum, there are ears and hearts ready to listen. They are waiting for you to speak to them. Often, I used to say to some of the scholars and clergy who were busy in educational and academic areas that when we would take minbar prior to the Revolution, we would wait for a few people to gather there so that we could speak to them, but that now, large crowds of students sit at our minbar. This holds true for teachers as well. Over the week and for long hours, you have ears and hearts at your disposal who are sitting there, waiting for you to open your lips and say something that will knowingly or unknowingly attract their hearts. What is important is that your words will settle in their hearts if they are uttered correctly. We should appreciate the value of this. This is a very important issue and opportunity.
These complimentary remarks about the educational system show what a great organization it is. The honorable minister correctly mentioned that by casting a look at today’s educational system, one can predict the future of the country. This is correct. If we look at the educational system today, we can guess what the future of the country will be like. This was a compliment about the educational system which is a real, not an ingenuine, compliment.
Of course, there are some problems in our educational system about which I will raise some points. Eliminating these problems and reaching the desirable point requires acumen, intelligence, determination, diligence, patience and endurance. Managers should not become tired and nervous. They must pursue the task in hand in a patient manner.
Of course, we need certain tools. In order to carry out these tasks, first of all, what is needed is educational materials. You must pay attention to the importance of these educational materials. One cannot sort the matter by speaking and advising. The educational system must prepare educational materials for the goals that I described. There is a need for both educational materials and for more teachers. In terms of the number of teachers, we have problems. According to the report that I received, in the present time, around 70,000 of our teachers are about to retire. That is while we can and decide to employ only half of this figure. This is a grave problem. We must work on this. Later, I will point to teacher training universities.
The quality of teachers is important as well: their knowledge, skill and the like. It should not be the case that individuals who have a poor performance in the entrance exam resort to teaching. You should do planning in a way that top individuals in terms of knowledge and also morality and moral and religious training enter the field of teaching. These are the necessary attributes for a teacher. If we intend to achieve these goals, one of the matters to attend to is the one related to teachers.
Of course, there is a need for plans and supplementary activities and I hope that these things will be done. However, we have always had very good and committed teachers, even in the pre-revolutionary era. The pre-revolutionary teachers trained students in a way that a magnificent student movement was launched around revolutionary matters. One of the really eye-catching phenomena in the revolutionary days was the presence of students some of whom were even killed. An example is the 13th of Aban and the massacre that took place in the vicinity of the University of Tehran. This indicates that teachers were active. In the beginning of the Revolution too, the students taught by the teachers of those days filled the frontlines and a large number of them were martyred. Many teachers were martyred as well. Today, the same condition exists. Today too, we do not thankfully have a shortage of committed, pious, religious, sympathetic and enthusiastic teachers. Of course, we have teachers with other qualities as well.
Well, it will be good to examine the issues of the educational system separately. Some issues are related to the entirety of the educational system and some are related to teachers. These issues should not be mixed up. In other words, it should be clear what the viewpoints and perspectives about each matter are and who the addressees and the officials in charge are.
As for the educational system, there is a general point which I would like to stress. This has been highlighted in various verbal and written discussions. We must do something so that our students will possess a national identity. The purpose of training students and sending them to school – elementary or high school – should not merely be to teach them some lessons. Well, they must learn these lessons and acquire knowledge, but the more important point or at least the point that is as important as acquiring knowledge is to give them a sense of identity.
We must cultivate individuals with an identity so that they will possess a national identity and feeling of self-confidence and so that our children will be fully familiarized with the glories and achievements of the country. This is something that does not exist today. There are many outstanding personalities. Mr. Minister mentioned the late Kazemi Ashtiani. You teachers could conduct a survey among students at your school and see how many of them know Kazemi Ashtiani with all those services and innate qualities that that young man had – he was young – and how many know, for example, [Cristiano] Ronaldo [audience laughs]! Sometimes, small children in our families mention people whose names I cannot even learn. They know them well and know what they do, but why do we not know our own national luminaries? This is very important.
When we speak about national identity, part of it is that students must know national personalities and their scientific, political and international past. They must know what achievements and efforts have been made. How many of today’s children – the third and fourth generations – have correct knowledge of revolutionary matters? Apart from his name and some complimentary comments, how much information do they have about our magnanimous Imam? How much information do they have about the scientists of the country? These are national sources of honor.
How familiar are they with the ideals of the Revolution? Well, the Revolution that managed to spark a tremendous storm and move a gigantic ocean is not a minor incident. That a revolutionary movement is able to move all parts of a country – in the revolutionary era, the demonstrations and rallies were not confined to Tehran and a few other big cities, rather such demonstrations used to be held in villages as well – means the stirring of an ocean.
What was the thing that stirred them like this? What did Imam do? What did he use to say? What were his ideas? Today, 20-plus volumes about Imam’s statements and writings are available. To what extent have they been read? How much attention have they received? Our children should know about the ideals of the Revolution. And mere knowledge is not enough. They must have a close bond with them. Our youth and teenagers at elementary and high school must mix together with these ideals, and their hearts and souls must become deeply attached to them. We surely have a need for chemical and mathematical formulas, foreign languages and the like. These statements of mine do not mean that we must put aside lessons. Lessons are necessary and we believe that the flag of science must be raised higher and higher on a daily basis, but as well as this, we need to raise the flag of national, glorious, revolutionary and Islamic identity.
Children must understand the value of being resistant and that every member of a nation is resistant. What does “resistant” mean? It means that they do not back off in the face of blackmail. They do not shiver upon the enemy’s attack. They do not give in when confronted with bullying. This is the meaning of resistant. The elixir for the problems of the country is this: the feeling and spirit of resistance.
Well, the world is a bullying one. Everyone forces their way forward with coercion. Everyone who can oppress does so and there is no difference in this regard between small and big powers, eastern and western blocs. Therefore, a nation must be able to resist bullying. We must learn this from our childhood. This must be fixed in us from our teenage. The same is true of the value of being self-confident. These are the things that they need to learn. It is with these qualities that a civilization-building generation comes into being: a generation that can bring honor to the nation and the country. All these things happen at school. Notice how important teachers are. The educational system is the executor of this task. Because of these qualities, the Ministry of Education cannot be compared with any other ministry.
Another point about educational matters, which is related to the planning of the Ministry of Education, is to separate beneficial science from science of little value. You yourselves are specialists in this regard. You are more informed than I am on this matter. In the present time, in our high schools and perhaps elementary schools, some of the subject matters that are taught are of little use for students either in the present time or in the future. These are just some memorizations that will be forgotten and that will not help them in any way in life. They do not help them progress scientifically and educationally. You should identity and eliminate these subject matters.
Beneficial science is a science that can unearth and cultivate the talents of youth and teenagers and that can provide an intellectual and practical basis for their future. This is beneficial science. Such sciences will naturally impact the progress and ascendence of the country. Otherwise, if we inundate students’ minds with a mishmash of useless memorizations, this will be of no avail.
Part of school time should be dedicated to training. This was also reflected on in the statements of Mr. Minister. You must pursue this matter. The Islamic lifestyle, spirit of camaraderie and social cooperation are things that children should learn at school. I could equally mention discipline and respect for the law. One of our problems is the issue of indiscipline that exists in individuals’ social and familial lives. From our teenage years and youth, we must learn order, discipline and obedience to law. The spirit of studying and research can be institutionalized in youth and teenagers. You can convey these things to them as a set of skills. The same is true of doing jihadi activities and fighting against social detriments. All individuals can combat social detriments when they are motivated to do so. This was another point.
The next point is about the transformation plan that was also pointed out by Mr. Minister. The transformation plan is not really in a satisfactory condition. This plan has been prepared for 12 years. The honorable ministers who were in charge in the course of these years – apparently, six ministers with a number of deputies took over in the past 10 years and this transfer of management in itself is a serious problem – did certain things each. They delivered some reports to me too saying that they did such and such things, but the reality is that the transformation plan has not been executed. Of course, some parts of it might have been executed, but this plan is a set of interconnected tasks.
If the officials of the educational system believe that there is a flaw in it, very well, they can update and complete it and eliminate the shortcomings. They must show determination to go ahead with the plan. And in order to measure its progress, certain criteria must be defined. If they merely say that such and such a percentage of the plan has been fulfilled, this is not good. There must be clear quantitative indexes so that it becomes clear how much it has progressed. Well, these were general matters about the educational system.
I wish to raise two, three points about teachers. The heavy load that I spoke of falls on teachers. To put it otherwise, it is teachers who do the executing part. Some teachers may also influence decision-making and some may not do so, but the whole task of implementation falls on teachers. It is teachers who should carry out these big tasks for their addresses – who constitute millions of teenagers and youth.
This is a unique role. Therefore, as I mentioned earlier, everyone must appreciate the value of teachers. Primarily, teachers themselves should grasp their role and know what a great task falls on them. Becoming tired and bored, underplaying this job because of the problems that naturally exist in life – livelihood and other problems – and looking at it scornfully are wrong. The teaching vocation is a very important job. It is a very great career. Teachers themselves should be the first people to understand the great role of teaching. As I mentioned before, in the revolutionary era, during the Sacred Defense Era and during various political events that have taken place in the country, teachers have managed to play their role by ushering the youth and teenagers of the country towards the right direction.
As well as grasping this important role, teachers must feel dutiful. This is also a responsibility. Teachers must feel that they are in charge of a trust. The trust that has been given to them, that must be looked after and that must be able to create value is the dearest kind of trust. The teenagers that have been entrusted to you – well, teenagers and youth are the dear assets of the country both at a national and familial level because families entrust their sons and daughters to you teachers – are a valuable trust. This trust is in your hands.
A poet says, “I am a blank board and ready for every drawing” [from a poem by Mirza Habib Khorasani]. This blank board is ready for all kinds of drawings. It is you who make these drawings. They must leave school with value-added created by you. You must keep this trust in the best way possible morally, scientifically and behaviorally speaking. You must revive the spirit of wisdom and intelligence in the trust given to you. Surely, if our teachers are religious and pious, this task will be fulfilled in the best way possible and I hope that they are like this. This was another point.
Another point is about Farhangian University – which was pointed out at the meeting – Shahid Rajai University and other teacher training universities. These universities are really and truly important. The formation of these universities was really necessary. It was really necessary to press ahead with them. A few years ago, I went to Farhangian University and discussed the necessary matters with the large number of youths who had gathered there. This university has a heavy duty. These universities and teacher training centers must be strengthened in every way: I mean in terms of hardware, management, professors, curriculum and training activities. In which universities will our expectations of teachers be fulfilled? This is very important. These teacher training universities should work in a way that really good teachers will emerge from them. This was another point.
Another point is that according to the report that I have received, many teachers’ majors and fields of knowledge do not match with their teaching field. In my opinion, this is very important. They have done another major, but they teach another field. Of course, I know that this results from lack of teachers because managers have few options to do what is necessary, but we must think of a solution. They have gone through a lot of trouble to do a major. Well, they must be able to teach the same field of knowledge.
During the pandemic too, teachers really went through a great deal of trouble. The coronavirus period was really a hard period for teachers. It was an unfamiliar territory with many duties. At times, teachers had to do intensified work. That is, they had to teach in-person classes and they also had to teach online and in cyberspace. This means more workload. This was really difficult for them. I sincerely thank them in this regard.
As for livelihood problems, I will offer the same piece of advice that I have always offered. Of course, there are limitations in government resources. There are really some problems and we do accept this and we must pay attention to it, but teachers’ insurance, retirement and health costs must be provided on time. These are important matters that must surely receive attention.
My last point is that I have many expectations of the educational system and I ask them to plan for these, but you teachers should not wait for these plans to be implemented. With your own initiatives, you can do a lot. There are teachers who are not given a specific educational plan, but they manage to train and improve a group of students with their own initiatives, helpfulness and sympathetic spirit. I hope that you too will be successful in this regard.
I ask God the Exalted to associate the souls of our dear martyrs, particular student-martyrs and teacher-martyrs, with their saints and I hope that God the Exalted will associate the immaculate soul of our dear Imam – whatever we have is because of his leadership because it was he who guided us towards this path – with His saints. I hope that He will help all of us carry out our duties.
Greetings be upon you and God’s mercy and blessings
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