Iran's Education Minister Defends Gender-Specific Programs

Reza Morad Sahraei, the Minister of Education in the Islamic Republic of Iran, insists on the need for gender-specific school curricula.

In an interview on Saturday, Sahraei said that there is currently no plan for gender segregation on the agenda of the ministry of education. He confirmed that some textbooks will change.

He said textbooks for subjects such as Life Skills, Social Studies, and Religious Studies are already based on students' gender.

Last week, Sahraei had stated, in accordance with the Fundamental Transformation of Education document, textbooks should be customized differently for girls and boys. He emphasized the necessity of institutionalizing a culture of “modesty” throughout society.

Sahraei went on to emphasize that the Islamic Republic rejects both an "Eastern perspective" and a "feminist perspective" concerning women and girls, deeming the latter as "deviant."

His statements advocating gender-specific textbooks have triggered widespread negative reactions among experts in the field.