Macid Parsa, head of education for Tehran province, told ISNA—as reported by Kayhan—that certain "homeschool" private education centers operating in the capital are conducting illegal schooling and have no right to use the school designation. Parsa said the identified centers would be reported to relevant authorities including the "Space Bureau," and that some had already been sealed.
Parsa stressed that those using the school name for unlawful activities would face action, and urged families not to support these centers. According to officials, some operators tell families they will provide education to their children, then enroll the student in a different school or source textbooks elsewhere; this arrangement lacks necessary accountability, Parsa said. He told families that official education is conducted only in officially designated school spaces and urged them not to turn toward such centers, warning that non-official educational activities lack ministry approval and identified centers would be monitored by relevant authorities.
Iran International's same-day report also cited Parsa's statements about centers enrolling students in official schools while sourcing textbooks separately, creating accountability gaps. While both outlets report the same statement, Kayhan—close to the government—presented it as a straightforward warning without commentary, while diaspora-based Iran International framed the announcement within a broader context of families' waning trust in the official school system.
Context
Homeschooling as a phenomenon has grown in Iran among families seeking education outside the official curriculum; however, Iranian law recognizes no formal "homeschool" status outside formal education. Such centers typically operate as unregistered private tutoring or alternative pedagogy ventures in major cities, and authorities object to students falling outside official registration and curriculum oversight.
Families drawn to these centers include those unsatisfied with mandatory curricula or school environments, as well as parents of students facing disciplinary action or seeking alternative educational approaches; authorities, however, regard this trend as largely outside their control. Parsa's statement that "we do not recognize these spaces as schools" reflects the government's official position that education is legitimate only through state-approved institutions. This stance rests on the assumption that the curriculum a student follows and the teacher instructing them must be traceable by the state.
Tehran's announcement appears part of a broader trend toward tighter registration and curriculum oversight in the official school system. Behind families' turn to these centers lie crowded classrooms in major cities, some schools' disciplinary practices, and the desire for individualized instruction; authorities worry these choices create an unmonitored educational gap. Parsa's disclosure that these centers are identified through the ministry's own monitoring—not just complaints—suggests the issue will likely remain newsworthy in coming months as enforcement and closures continue in major cities.
