Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Iran fully reopens schools a day after two years of COVID closure

Iran fully reopens schools a day after two years of COVID closure

Students, teachers return to schools on Sunday but concerns over another wave of COVID infections remain.

Schools and universities across Iran have fully reopened for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic more than two years ago.

From Sunday, which coincided with the beginning of the holy Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Iran, students and teachers were obliged to attend classes in person across the country.

Some schools and universities had seen partial reopenings before as COVID-19 peaks subsided, but none had fully and consistently reconvened classes physically since the start of the pandemic in Iran in February 2020.

State television showed footage of packed classrooms from several provinces across the country on Sunday, with masked students sitting in rooms with open windows.

Metros and buses were made free of charge until 9am to encourage students and teaching staff to use public transport.

Being fully vaccinated is a prerequisite for attending classes for students and teachers.

Health protocols call for mandatory masks, disinfected spaces and teams to monitor developments at schools, but not for increased physical distancing in classes.

Three groups of students are now allowed to be absent from physical classrooms: those suffering from underlying conditions, those infected with coronavirus and those showing symptoms.


Since the start of the pandemic, state television has aired a variety of classes to continue education.

The Ministry of Education also launched an application to host online classes. However, thousands of students – especially those in less privileged areas – were unable to continue their education due to a lack of access to computers and stable internet connections.

From effects on social skills to limited learning, authorities at the ministry have repeatedly warned of the dangers of remote education for students, but six waves of the coronavirus and more than 140,000 deaths – the highest toll in the Middle East – had prevented a full reopening of schools even as most other public activities have long been normalised.

Health officials have warned that a seventh wave of the pandemic might grip the country in the weeks following the Nowruz holidays that ended on Saturday.

During the extended holidays that span two weeks to celebrate the Iranian new year, tens of millions of people travel across the country, and many gather in closed spaces to see family and friends.

The sixth wave of the pandemic – defined by the Omicron variant – has been contained in recent weeks amid a widespread national vaccination campaign. But the country is still seeing about 50 deaths and 3,000 new cases per day.

The Iran, the official newspaper of the government, reported on Sunday that parents have a right to say the administration of President Ebrahim Raisi should have waited to see whether infections again rise significantly following the Nowruz holiday.

“If children return to schools and have to fall back on online education again due to the coronavirus, their worlds will be met with even more instability,” it wrote, warning that if cases rise again, schools should not be blamed.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×