In a controversial move, Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has called for the installation of surveillance cameras inside Iranian school classrooms. In a report published on March 24, the outlet framed the proposal as necessary for improving educational oversight, despite growing backlash from teachers, education officials, and civil rights advocates.
The report acknowledges that while most Iranian schools are already equipped with cameras in hallways and courtyards, classrooms have been exempt. Citing unnamed officials from the Ministry of Education, Tasnim admits the issue has become “a point of contention” due to concerns that classroom surveillance would infringe on teachers’ “private space” and restrict their ability to function freely.
Mohammad Salimi, Director General of Performance Evaluation and Complaints at the Ministry of Education, told Tasnim: “The classroom is under the teacher’s authority, and installing cameras may limit their performance.” He added that while transparency is important, “this action negatively affects the quality of teaching.”
#Iran News in Brief
In a recent wave of oppressive actions by the regime, Ahmadreza Radan, the Commander-in-Chief of State Security Forces, announced that a plan is being implemented to deal with #women’s dress code using surveillance cameras and #AI.https://t.co/qdaY0w4aYb pic.twitter.com/SxfwCbUaFm— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 17, 2023
Despite these concerns, Tasnim compares Iran’s education system to that of China, where classroom cameras are used to monitor teachers’ performance and raise educational standards. The agency also mentions similar surveillance measures in parts of the U.S., while conceding that countries like France and Germany oppose such practices due to privacy concerns.
Civil society groups have long warned that increased surveillance in schools is part of a broader effort to “securitize” Iran’s education system. The push for cameras follows years of growing state pressure on students and teachers, particularly after the nationwide protests in 2022. The regime has responded with firings, arrests, and even reports of chemical attacks targeting girls’ schools.
#Iran News:
Regime Mandates #Surveillance Cameras in Shops, Tightening Crackdown on Populationhttps://t.co/6ZJPuNl2zz— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) October 5, 2024
Parents, teachers, and education watchdogs remain alarmed. Past reports detail incidents like the firing of school principals for refusing to cooperate with authorities or allowing political expression among students. In one case, parents at Farzanegan-1 girls’ school in Tehran protested after cameras were installed “even in the restrooms.”
The renewed push for classroom surveillance is widely seen not as a tool for educational reform, but as a means of stifling dissent and controlling Iran’s increasingly restive youth population. As state-backed outlets like Tasnim normalize these policies, the debate over privacy, repression, and the role of education in the clerical dictatorship grows sharper than ever.