Qajar-Era Schools: The Dawn of Modern Education in Iran

A virtual exhibition titled "Qajar-Era Schools: The Dawn of Modern Education in Iran," comprising 18 documents across 42 pages from the collections of the National Archives of Iran, is now available to interested visitors on the website of the Organization of Documents and National Library of Iran.

According to Ambassador Arjan of Iran (Ambassador Arjan), the virtual exhibition "Schools of the Qajar period; The beginning of modern education in Iran" has been prepared by the General Directorate of Archival Services, Department of Archival Communications, on the occasion of the reopening of schools. By presenting 19 titles in the form of 43 documents, this exhibition makes part of the history of the formation and expansion of modern schools in Iran available to those interested. This exhibition has been published by the General Directorate of Archival Services (Archival Communications Department) on the occasion of the reopening of schools.

Naser al-Din Shah's trips to Europe and after that the trips of groups such as merchants and nobles led to more acquaintance of Iranians with world developments. The establishment of Dar al-Funun in the Nasrid era was one of the first steps in the formation of modern education in Iran. Despite the opposition and resistance to the new way of education, new style schools were established in Tehran and Tabriz until before the constitutional revolution.

According to the contents of the "Principles of Education" magazine, which was published under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, in 1298, about a year after the end of the First World War, there were nearly 55 schools in Tehran. These schools had about 6,000 male and female students, with the majority being boys, and nearly 400 teachers.

The activity of new schools in border areas and cities far from the capital

Modern education was not limited to the capital at that time. The number of new school students in Isfahan is more than a thousand, Qazvin 600, Zanjan 433, Semnan 290 and Yazd more than 250. There were 50 students in Damghan, about 150 people in Shahroud and Bastam, more than 180 people in Kashan, more than 100 people in Amol, and about 140 people in Neishabur. The recorded statistics of 30 students in Sistan, 70 students in Kurdistan and 200 students in each of Birjand and Ardabil also indicate the activity of new schools in border areas and cities far from the capital.

The name of the schools shows another part of the image of the education of that period. About half of the schools did not have a specific name and were known by numbers such as "Primary State Grade 28" or "Secondary Grade 6". On the other hand, Tehran's boys' schools had names such as "Islam", "Sharaft", "Dar al-Funun", "Anoushirvan", "Tarbit", "Persian", "Soriya", "Kamalieh", "Kherad", "Dariush", "Adab", "Ulamiyeh", "Eftatahiyeh", "Etihadiyeh", "Sharaf", "Sadat", "Saint Louis" under the supervision of the French, "Aqdasiyeh", "Shariat" and "Ferdoosi".

Among girls' schools in Tehran, the names of "Esmat", "Tarqi", "Banat", "Farhia Nubaugan", "Mahmoudieh Doshizgan", "Hashmatiyeh", "Namus", "Tarbit", "Esmetiyeh", "Eftiyeh", "Mastorat", "Islamic Drugs", "Hasnat", "Harmatiyeh Sadat", "Franco Bersan" under the supervision of the French and "Qudsiyeh" can be seen.

Activities of Armenian schools and foreign schools along with other schools

Schools in other cities also had different names. "Fatimiyah" in Damghan, "Maliyah", "Ulamiyah Itam", "Qudsiyah", "Aqdhasiyah" and "Golbahar" in Isfahan, "Islamiyah", "Farhang", "Doshizgan" and "Aramneh" in Qazvin, "Parsiyan", "Milli" and "Sadat" in Kerman, "Islam" and "Dawlati" in Amol, "Milli" in Astara, "Ahmadiyya" in Kurdistan and "Shoktiyah" in Birjand was among them. In Yazd, there were "Saadat", "Siyadt", "Ulamiya", "Diyant" and "Tahiriya" schools, in Zanjan "Islamiya", "Mahmoudieh", "Tahzeeb", "Sharafat" and "Mohammadiyeh" and in Semnan "Adab", "Hemat" and "Hashmatiyeh" were operating.

In the educational administrative structure of that period, the "Inspection Department" supervised the behavior and performance of school employees. Dar al-Mulammin and Dar al-Mulammat were also established to train teachers and their curricula were reviewed. Armenian schools and foreign schools operated alongside other schools.

The documents collected in this exhibition also show the executive aspects of school administration; From teachers' commitment to comply with regulations, student admission and inspectors' supervision, to moving the school building, curriculum and teaching hours, teacher training, budget, staff salaries and lack of school supplies. Correspondence related to administrative disputes, change of teachers, activities of foreign schools and statistics of schools and male and female students in the provinces can also be seen in this collection. The introduced dated documents belong to the years 1298 to 1305, and some of them have no date.

During the Qajar period, the expansion of Iranians' communication with the outside world provided them with more familiarity with scientific and educational developments. Naser al-Din Shah's trips to Europe and the trips of groups such as merchants and nobles played a role in strengthening attention to change and progress in Iran. The establishment of Dar al-Funun in Naseri era was also one of the important steps in the beginning of modern education.

The expansion of new schools was faced with obstacles and resistance, which was partly due to the society's unfamiliarity with new educational methods. However, the effort to establish these schools continued and before the constitutional revolution, new style schools were formed in Tehran and Tabriz.

Expansion of schools in Tehran and other cities

According to the contents of the magazine "Principles of Education", published under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, in 1298, one year after the end of World War I, there were about 55 schools in Tehran. These schools had approximately 6,000 male and female students and about 400 teachers; Although the number of boys was more than girls.

Modern education was not limited to the capital. At the same time, Zanjan had 433 students, Semnan had 290 students, Isfahan had more than a thousand students, Qazvin had 600 students, and Yazd had more than 250 students.

New schools were also operating in medium and smaller cities: Damghan with 50 students, Shahroud and Bastam with approximately 150 students, Kashan with more than 180 students, Amol with more than 100 students, and Neishabur with approximately 140 students.

This trend was also seen in the border and peripheral areas of Iran. Sistan with 30 students, Kurdistan with 70 students, Birjand with 200 students and Ardabil with 200 students tell about the expansion of new educational institutions in different parts of the country.

names of schools; A reflection of the culture of the time

The names of the schools reflect part of the cultural atmosphere of Iran in that period. About half of the schools did not have a specific name and were known by numbers such as "Primary State Grade 28" or "Secondary Grade 6"; But another group had names that are important to pay attention to from the point of view of cultural sociology.

Boys' schools in Tehran in 1298 solar with names such as "Islam", "Sharaft", "Dar al-Funun", "Anoushirvan", "Tarbit", "Parsiyan", "Sorya", "Kamalieh", "Kherad", "Dariush", "Adb", "Ulamiyeh", "Eftatahiyeh", "Ittihieh", "Sharaf", "Sadat", "Saint Louis" - under the supervision of the French -, "Aqdasiyeh", "Shariat" and "Ferdoosi" were doing

Girls' schools in the capital also had names such as "Esmat", "Tarqi", "Banat", "Farhia Nubaugan", "Mahmoudieh Doshizgan", "Hashmatiyeh", "Namus", "Tarbit", "Esmetiyeh", "Eftiyeh", "Mastorat", "Islamic Drugs", "Hasnat", "Harmatiyeh Sadat", "Franco Bersan" - under the supervision of the French - and "Qudsiyeh".

Various names were also seen in other cities: "Fatimieh" in Damghan; "Maliyeh", "Ulamiyeh Itam", "Qudsiyeh", "Aqdisiyeh" and "Golbahar" in Isfahan; "Islamiya", "Farhang", "Dishizgan" and "Aramena" in Qazvin; "Parsiyan", "Melli" and "Sadat" in Kerman; "Islam" and "government" in Amol; "National" in Astara; "Ahmadiyya" in Kurdistan; "Shuktieh" in Birjand; "Sadat", "Siyadt", "Ulamiya", "Diyant" and "Tahiriya" in Yazd; "Islamiyeh", "Mahmoudieh", "Tahzeeb", "Sharaft" and "Mohammadiyeh" in Zanjan; and "Edab", "Hemat" and "Heshmatiyeh" in Semnan.

Supervising schools and training teachers

Along with the expansion of schools, monitoring the behavior and performance of their employees was also considered. An office called "Inspection Office" was in charge of this responsibility.

The training of teachers was also very important, and for this purpose, Daral-ul-Mulemmin and Daral-ul-Mulammat were established. The educational programs of these centers were carefully reviewed. In the same period, Armenian schools and foreign schools also continued to operate.

Virtual exhibition "Qajar period schools; The beginning of modern education in Iran" including 18 document titles in the form of 42 pages, from the collection of documents of the National Archives of Iran, was made available to those interested on the website of the Organization of Records and the National Library of Iran.

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