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Education
Public primary education was
introduced in Iran after the country's first constitution was
drafted in 1906. Predominantly an urban system, it expanded only
gradually and did not include secondary education until 1925. At the
time of the 1979 Islamic revolution, only 60 percent of Iranian
children of primary school age, and less than 50 percent of those of
secondary school age, were enrolled in public schools; overall adult
literacy was only 48 percent. Since 1979 the government has given a
high priority to education, with programs focusing on adult
literacy, new school construction, and expansion of public colleges
and other institutes of higher education. By 2000 literacy for all
Iranians aged 15 and older had reached 76.9 percent. The literacy
rate was higher for males (83.7 percent) than for females (70
percent); the rate was also higher in cities than in rural areas.
Both the public education system and an expanding private school
system consist of a five-year primary school cycle, a three-year
middle school cycle, and a four-year high school cycle. Education is
compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 11. All villages
now have at least a primary school, and 89.6 percent of primary
school-aged children were enrolled in school in 1996. Dropout rates
begin during middle school and increase significantly during high
school. In 1996 only 74.2 percent of secondary school-aged children
were enrolled in secondary school. Dropout rates are significantly
higher in rural areas, where there is a shortage of high schools
within easy commuting distance.
Iran has more than 30 tuition-free public universities and many
other institutes of higher learning. These include medical
universities and specialized colleges providing instruction in
teacher training, agriculture, and other subjects. In all, only 17
percent of Iranians of relevant age were enrolled in institutions of
higher learning in 1996. Tehran serves as a center for higher
education, with more than 15 universities and numerous colleges and
institutes. Other important universities are located in Hamedan,
Esfahan, Shiraz, and Tabriz. In addition to the public system, Iran
has a private system of higher education that consists of
theological colleges and the Islamic Free University, which has been
developing campuses in cities throughout the country since its
establishment in the late 1980s
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