27 students barred from HE, but could be many more

Tehran’s representative in the Iranian Parliament, Mahmoud Sadeqi, says 27 graduate students have been banned from continuing their education in the current Iranian academic year, but analysts suggest the number could be a lot higher, reports Radio Farda.

Citing Sadeqi, state-run Iranian Labour News Agency reported that despite attempts, 12 PhD and 15 masters students were not allowed to enter the universities this year. According to Sadeqi, 151 PhD and 398 masters students deemed ‘starred’ (deemed to be politically unreliable or undesirable) were allowed to register and continue their education after signing a written commitment to ensure students stay away from political activities.

But there are conflicting reports as to how many students have actually been barred this year. Other sources report much higher numbers. In an article for the reformist daily Sharq, human rights activist and journalist Emadeddin Baqi wrote: “Based on our enquiry, the number of students who have successfully passed their exams but are not allowed to continue their education is much more than what is formally said. In fact, many of the deprived students have given up hope, leaving higher education for good.”
Full report on the Radio Farda site