An Iranian regime education official has admitted that 39,000 primary school children are not attending school.
Government statistics reveal that pupils at primary school form half of the 12.5 million student population in Iran.
And figures show that around six per cent of them have left education – although it is feared the real figures may be much higher.
And nationwide, more than 7.1 million children – equivalent to 37 per cent – out of a total population of 19.4 million young people aged 7 to 19 are not attending school, according to 2012 figures.
Poverty is cited as the main reason for non-attendance at school as families send their children to work to earn money.
The situation is also more prevalent in rural communities, where children must often walk long distances to reach schools which lack the most basic facilities, and classes are frequently held outdoors.
Accidents at schools, such as a fire on December 5, 2012, in a girls’ school in Shin Abad village, near Piranshahr, which left two dead and 29 injured, are also blighting the eduction of Iran’s children.
Increasing unemployment and lack of jobs for graduates is also forcing students to begin work at a younger age.
Repression at schools including unsuitable education programs, non-standard study books, a lack of suitable teachers and overpopulated classrooms also contribute to children leaving school early.
Figures also show that half of all criminals under the age of 18 left school early, with many children quickly becoming victims of smuggling gangs and being lead into a life of addiction and crime.