Iranian authorities have barred civil society organisations from providing education to Afghan children, a move that has left many without access to schooling, Shargh daily reported Tuesday.
The newspaper said the Ministry of Education issued letters to NGOs this year ordering them not to engage in educational activities. The decision coincided with the start of the new academic year, preventing a number of Afghan children from attending classes.
Until last year, children were permitted to enrol with census cards, but officials have since revoked the cards’ validity, forcing many out of school. In July, Iran’s Office of Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs declared the documents invalid, despite earlier assurances that Afghans with valid cards could remain in the country.
Several NGOs told Shargh they had received formal and informal directives not only banning them from teaching undocumented Afghan children, but also prohibiting Afghan teachers and volunteers from participating.
Rights advocates said many schools now reject Afghan children even with alternative documents, citing “lack of capacity” or closed registration systems. Activists warned the policy has excluded thousands of children from education, with one researcher estimating that in some areas 50 to 60 percent of school capacity remains unused.
