Policy-Making in Iran’s Formal Public Education System in the Process of Shaping Students’ National and Religious Identity

Abstract

The education system of the Islamic Republic of Iran is centered on teaching life based on Islamic culture. The deeper and more comprehensive philosophy of education is the instruction of life itself. The establishment of the system and the governance structure serve as instrumental tools in the hands of the Supreme Leader (Velayat-e Faqih) to realize the goal of education and the actualization of the potential capabilities of the people in society. A distinct responsibility of the education system is to oversee the renovation, reconstruction, orientation, and integration of the country's cultural and educational institutions. The content of school textbooks and curricula—along with the influence of teacher personality and teaching methods—plays a pivotal and vital role in shaping the ethnic identity of students, particularly considering that the Fundamental Reform Document of Education in the Islamic Republic of Iran serves as the primary reference for designing, developing, and determining the conditions of the implementers of formal public education policies. Religious and ethical foundations have been the basis for all related affairs. In this context, apart from a limited number of topics such as environmental issues, global identity is largely addressed through the lens of religious identity. According to Dewey, education concerning upbringing, if it relates to the real-life conditions of individuals, fosters moral excellence and cultivates virtuous behavior in children. This study aimed to understand the impact of the education system of the Islamic Republic of Iran on shaping students’ national and religious identity during the academic years 2023–2024. To this end, 22 principals from boys’ and girls’ schools in Tehran across all educational levels and grades were selected as the target population. The findings of the study indicate that national identity ranks second after religious identity.