On Tuesday, September 2, 2025, the central headquarters of the mullahs’ Ministry of Education in Tehran witnessed a joint protest by two groups: retired teachers and instructors from the National Literacy Movement (Nehzat-e Savad Amouzi).
Women educators played a central role in these protests, making up the majority of participants.
Retired teachers—particularly those who left service in 2023—chanted slogans such as “Stop saying there are no funds; we are tired of empty promises,” demanding immediate payment of long-overdue salary adjustments under the ranking plan, arrears that have been stalled for over four years.
Meanwhile, Literacy Movement instructors rallied for the third consecutive day, pressing the ministry to issue long-delayed regulations that would secure their rights as part-time teachers. They warned that continued neglect of their demands not only violates teachers’ basic rights but also risks driving the education system into deeper crisis.
The convergence of these protests underscored once again that Iran’s educators—retirees as well as active instructors, and especially women—remain at the forefront of defending professional and educational rights, refusing to accept official silence and inaction.
