Educational Policies in Iran and Their Intellectual Roots; The First Pahlavi Era (1925-1941)

Abstract

This article examines the roots and educational policies of Iran during the first Pahlavi era (1925-1941). During this period, Reza Shah initiated serious efforts to modernize and centralize public education, aiming to create a strong, unified central government through educational and cultural policies that emphasized the Persian language and limited linguistic diversity. Schools were mandated to use standardized textbooks approved by the Ministry of Education, and non-Persian languages were restricted. Similarly, ethnic and religious minority schools faced pressure to adopt Persian as the language of instruction. These policies, with a nationalist focus on Aryan identity, aimed at cultural homogenization. The article also notes that these policies and educational structures have persisted beyond the 1979 revolution and continue to influence Iran’s educational system today.