Two-minute read
A new report by the Iranian regime’s Parliament Research Center has exposed the complete paralysis of Iran’s education system during the first year of the regime’s 7th Development Plan, revealing how decades of corruption, financial mismanagement, and political priorities have crippled one of the nation’s most vital sectors.
The assessment, covering the period from the plan’s launch to September 2025, paints a bleak picture: the regime’s education policies have failed to achieve even the most basic objectives. Nearly all key provisions of the plan remain unimplemented, leaving the system stagnant and unprepared to meet the country’s developmental needs
More Than Three-Quarters of Commitments Unfulfilled
According to the report, over 78 percent of the education mandates in the 7th Plan have either not been executed at all or have only been partially implemented. Out of 16 strategic directives requiring detailed policy documents and legal instructions, only two have been completed.
#Iran’s Lost Children: Tens of Thousands of Students Sacrificed in the Iran-Iraq Warhttps://t.co/gQmSN6PZKZ
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) September 25, 2025
This means that more than 85 percent of the foundational requirements for transforming Iran’s education system remain unresolved, despite an entire year passing since the plan’s adoption.
Among 19 stated goals, only two have been fully achieved, while 58 percent of all quantitative objectives have failed entirely. The research center’s analysis concludes that “the education sector has not even entered the stage of real program implementation.”
Structural Failures and Lack of Resources
The report identifies several core reasons for the regime’s failure to implement its own plans:
- Severe budget shortages, accounting for about 40 percent of the failures. Key reforms have stalled due to the absence of funding.
- Managerial incompetence and lack of expertise, also representing about 40 percent of the problem. Chronic indecision and a lack of capable leadership have rendered the system inert.
- Unapproved regulatory documents, meaning the program still lacks the legal foundation for execution.
- Unrealistic, idealistic targets that ignored Iran’s deteriorating infrastructure and resource constraints.
Even where limited actions were taken, the report notes that many were “formal gestures” with no measurable impact on educational quality.
#IranProtests: Retirees, Workers, and Students Lead Nationwide Rallies Against Economic Collapsehttps://t.co/NwqpqtngsX
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) October 5, 2025
Manipulated Data and False Reporting
The Parliamentary Research Center also criticized the regime’s executive agencies for statistical manipulation and false reporting.
For instance, construction projects completed before the start of the 7th Plan were misleadingly listed as part of its achievements. “The discrepancy between official reports and actual progress exposes a serious gap between declared and real performance,” the report stated.
Fundamental tasks—such as drafting a national roadmap for educational reform and establishing monitoring frameworks—remain unfulfilled, even though they were legally required within the first six months of implementation.
The Real Priorities of the Regime
While Iran’s classrooms suffer from outdated infrastructure, teacher shortages, and inadequate funding, the clerical regime continues to divert national wealth to its military and nuclear ambitions.
Instead of investing in education, billions of dollars are funneled into the regime’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, as well as financing proxy militias across the Middle East. Meanwhile, systemic corruption and massive embezzlement scandals have further drained public resources.
The Crisis of Education and School Dropouts in #Iran https://t.co/YfyMtonTMj
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 5, 2025
This deliberate neglect reflects a long-standing pattern: the regime sacrifices social development and youth welfare to sustain repression and regional aggression.
A Future Mortgaged by the Regime’s Misrule
Education is the foundation of any nation’s long-term progress, yet under the rule of the mullahs, it has become a casualty of ideological control, economic decay, and institutional collapse.
Through its destructive policies, the regime has ensured that Iran’s youth remain trapped in a cycle of poor education, unemployment, and despair—conditions that reinforce the system’s dependence on repression rather than reform.