Iran wants to enforce the headscarf in schools and universities more strictly

The headscarf must be enforced more strictly in schools and universities in Iran. The country’s Ministry of Education made this known in a statement on Monday. Therefore, students who do not wear the headscarf as prescribed are not allowed to participate in the lessons. The statement does not state how exactly compliance with the headscarf requirement should be monitored.

In principle, the arrangement is not new in Iran. In the course of the massive protests of recent months following the death of Kurdish Iranian Jina Mahsa Amini in police custody in mid-September, many girls and women have demonstratively ignored the obligation to wear headscarves. Schools and universities are no exception. Since the start of the Persian New Year about two weeks ago, the Iranian government has repeatedly announced stricter penalties for ignoring Islamic dress codes. The Ministry of Education has now followed the example with the notification about the enforcement of the existing rules.

Also on Monday, the Ministry of Education announced the resignation of Education Minister Yussef Nuri. Iranian media had previously reported delays in paying teachers’ salaries. In February, the EU placed Nuri on a sanctions list. He is held responsible, among other things, for the arbitrary arrest of students during the mass protests. (sda/dpa)