Restrictions on Teaching Ads for Private Schools

Employment websites are banned from placing ads for private school teacher positions, according to the head of the Organization for Non-State Schools, affiliated to the Education Ministry.

Marzieh Gord said advertising for vacancies at private schools is illegal because “new graduates wanting to teach at non-government schools must go through a series of legal and administrative procedures” before they are permitted to work, the ministry website Medu.ir reported.

“What these websites do is not approved by us and it may even be risky for applicants to apply for positions through these portals as they have to submit detailed personal information, which can be misused” she said.

Educators at state and private schools go through similar procedures before they’re licensed to work as teachers.

“They have to be evaluated and pass a series of tests, including level of knowledge and classroom conduct,” Gord said.

Describing the websites as “proxies”, she said their presence is unnecessary because there already is a procedure in place.

“Private school managers interview people and pick the ones they deem fit enough for the job and refer them to us,” Gord said. “There is no need for websites to act as middlemen and maybe even charge applicants a fee.”

In Iran there are 1,400 private schools with 1.5 million students.

Ministry officials say only 11% of schools are privately-run but 200,000 teachers from among the best educated instructors are working for non-state schools, while 75% of their founders have university degrees and over 25 years of relevant (teaching) experience.