The Information and Communications Technologies Ministry plans to connect 44,000 rural schools to Iran’s National Information Network before the commencement of the new academic year (starting Sept. 22) in order to curb educational disparity.
ICT Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi said the new connections will raise the number of schools with internet connectivity to 84,000, the ministry’s website Ict.gov.ir reported.
There are over 107,000 schools in Iran, 78% of which will be connected to the World Wide Web, if the ICT Ministry’s initiative goes ahead as planned.
The National Information Network was launched in August 2016 as an alternative, independent network with content compatible with Islamic values to facilitate Iranian users’ access to indigenous content.
According to the provincial ICT organizations, almost all schools in urban areas have been connected to NIN. By extending its linkup with less-developed rural areas, all schools will be connected to the integrated network.
Education Minister Mohsen Haji-Mirzaei told media outlets that extending network connection to schools all around the country can help provide students with free and high-speed access to educational content.
“It will help materialize educational justice and bridge the communication gap between urban and rural areas,” he added.
Haji-Mirzaei said network connectivity in schools facilitates distance education, which is vital amid the spread of novel coronavirus in the country.
“There are still schools in deprived areas that need to be upgraded. With the help of ICT Ministry, work is on track to provide them connectivity before the beginning of the new school year,” he added.
The ongoing initiative began last summer when the ICT and education ministries signed an agreement to upgrade schools into smart educational centers.
The agreement between the two ministries includes various measures, such as connecting all schools to NIN and equipping them with basic modern tools needed by students and teachers.
Smart Schools
According to Jahromi, only 23,000 schools in Iran are considered smart schools where, by definition, advanced equipment and technology are used to take the educational process forward.
Ideally, a fully smart school is supposed to have smartboards, high-speed internet connectivity, laptops for all students and video projectors.
Smart schools are expected to conduct all services, including the process of enrolling students, teaching and conducting tests, on a digital platform.
Besides the gradual conversion of conventional schools to smart centers since last academic year, officials began to evaluate and rank smart schools based on students' and teachers’ access to information and communication technologies.
With the implementation of the new evaluation plan, smart schools will be thoroughly assessed and ranked, and the amount of digital content offered to the students will be reviewed. This will help parents select the right school for their children.
This will also prevent schools from overstating their technological capabilities and overcharging parents.
Database Formation
The task of equipping schools with ICTs and network connectivity commenced last year, along with a parallel project for digitalizing the documents of all students.
Since last autumn, schools were ordered to store the documents of all first graders in electronic systems to expedite the processing of applications, increase transparency and curb paper use.
According to Mehdi Sharafi, the head of Education Ministry’s ICT Office, the move is in line with upgrading schools to smart education centers and making students' information readily available to both teachers and parents.
"Currently, each student has an individual file in school, in which their personal information, school report sheets, classroom activities and any other report related to their educational performance are stored," he said.
At the end of each academic year, the paper files are archived in schools, occupying a large space and adding to injudicious paper use.
“If these documents are replaced with electronic files, they will be become more accessible to teachers who can also the students' files and get a perspective of their strong and weak points at a glance,” he added.
Sharafi noted that the digitization eliminates the need for parents to visit schools in person, as they can enquire about their kids' progress or other issues electronically.
