Support for School Winter Break

Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization has welcomed the idea of introducing school breaks during winter, as it will contribute to the growth of tourism.  

Speaking on the sidelines of the recent Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Ali Asghar Mounesan, the ICHHTO chief, expressed approval for the proposal and referred to its advantages, especially for the southern regions.

“The southern regions of the country, including Kish and Qeshm islands, are ideal destinations in the second half of the year due to their warmer climates and the winter school break will increase the number of domestic tourists visiting the areas,” Mounesan was quoted as saying by the travel website Donya-ye Safar. It will also help ease the massive tourist influx during the peak traveling season of summer.

Last year, the Department of Environment drafted a proposal that shortens summer holidays to allow a winter break for schools across Iran. It was aimed at reducing traffic and air pollution as well as students’ exposure to poor air quality.

Although initially approved by the Cabinet, it never made it through the parliament.

With the growth of pollution in recent days, the proposal has once again come up for discussion.

Administrations have long been discussing the idea, but “now that the DOE, the Ministry of Education and ICHHTO agree unanimously, it is the best time to use the plan in favor of the country’s tourism industry,” Mounesan said.  

However, the idea has been criticized by some, including Hemayat Mirzadeh, the spokesman of Majlis Education and Research Commission, who has stated that the whole country’s academic schedule cannot be disturbed for the sake of some metropolises.