Deutsche Welle Persian – June 8, 2019
A proposal by an Iranian Deputy Minister of Education to implement a Persian language proficiency test has sparked widespread objections, with critics arguing that it undermines the mother languages of linguistically marginalized ethnic groups in the country. The representative of Tabriz in parliament claimed that this initiative unfairly targets these ethnic groups.
Defending the Proposal
Rezvan Hakimzadeh, Deputy Minister of Elementary Education at Iran’s Ministry of Education, on Saturday, June 8 (18 Khordad), defended her proposal to include the Persian Language Proficiency Test in the "Health Screening Plan." She stated that this initiative is not meant to counter mother languages. She emphasized, “The Ministry of Education not only does not oppose mother languages, but one of its core programs is the preservation of mother languages.”
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| Rezvan Hakimzadeh |
In further defense of her proposal, Hakimzadeh said the test aims to promote “educational justice” and “prevent labeling bilingual students as slow learners.” She explained in an interview with the student news agency PANA that the purpose of this test in the health screening plan is to ensure students do not face challenges in the learning process.
Hakimzadeh stated: “Due to insufficient familiarity with the Persian language, some children in bilingual areas are labeled as slow learners during pre-elementary assessments. However, they are not slow learners; they simply do not have sufficient proficiency in Persian.”
She noted that being labeled as a slow learner often leads to academic underachievement. Based on her proposal, Persian language screening should begin two years before preschool.
Opposition in Parliament and Among Ethnic Intellectuals
The proposal was met with resistance from parliamentarians and sparked objections from some cultural elites of ethnic groups in the country.
Parliamentarian: This Proposal Will Be Addressed
Mohammad Esmail Saeedi, a representative of Tabriz, Azerbaijan and a member of the Parliament's Cultural Commission, criticized the Persian language proficiency test as an “inappropriate action targeting ethnic groups.” Speaking to IRNA, he stated that parliamentarians are united in opposing the inclusion of the Persian proficiency test in the health screening process for new students.
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| Mohammad Esmail Saeedi |
Saeedi declared: “The intelligence and wisdom of whoever suggested this irrelevant idea are questionable; whoever proposed this has made a wrong statement. Proficiency in Persian has nothing to do with individuals' capabilities.”
He added: “In some cases, even highly educated individuals cannot speak a language fluently. In Azerbaijan, we have brilliant talents at the international level who might not be proficient in Persian. We cannot claim such individuals are inciting ethnic sentiments, but it seems some intermediaries aim to exploit ethnic emotions.”
"Persian Language Proficiency Is Hostile"
Shahed Alavi, a Kurdish journalist and holder of a Master's degree in Political Science from Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, who has worked for years as a teacher in Kurdistan schools, told Deutsche Welle: “The Persian language proficiency proposal conveys an offensive message, suggesting that proficiency in Persian eliminates the need for other languages. What has been revealed about this proposal indicates signs of overtly hostile, anti-ethnic, and minority-oppressive policies against Iran’s non-Persian ethnic groups.”
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| Shahed Alavi |
Alavi pointed out that the health screening plan has been implemented in Iran for years to assess children’s mental, physical, and psychological well-being. He added that children are categorized based on their needs for appropriate interventions. For instance, children with disabilities are sent to special schools, while others go to regular schools.
He continued: “If we add Persian language proficiency to this health screening, we are essentially equating a lack of Persian language skills with a disability—on par with blindness or cognitive impairment.”
This former teacher, who has worked with bilingual students, stressed that the Persian language proficiency proposal reflects a misguided approach to solving a real problem.
He explained: “It is a fact that non-Persian-speaking children and those whose mother tongue is not Persian face challenges in our schools. They study in unequal conditions and are more likely to drop out compared to Persian-speaking children. But what is the solution? The solution is to establish a multilingual education system. In such a system, the rights of all children are safeguarded, and there is no need for such a hostile proposal.”