Iran's Families Struggle with Soaring Education Costs Amidst Worsening Public Health Crisis

The start of Iran's new school year has become a daunting test for families as education costs continue to rise, exacerbating income inequality. Approximately 16.5 million students are expected to return to classrooms this academic year, with around 1.15 million entering first grade. Officially approved tuition fees for non-government schools in Tehran can reach up to 2.2 billion rials for upper secondary education, while public school tuition is formally free but families must still cover costs such as uniforms, transportation, and school supplies.

The average price of medicines increased by approximately 103 percent since the beginning of the current Iranian year, with patients' direct out-of-pocket payments rising by 35 percent. This has led to a crisis in public health, with delayed influenza vaccines, sharply higher medicine prices, unpaid support for patients with serious and rare diseases, and growing difficulties obtaining essential drugs.

The Iran regime's policies of military confrontation have also led to the loss of national wealth, with nearly six million barrels of Iranian crude oil valued at approximately $600 million currently being transported across the Atlantic on three tankers seized by the United States. This highlights the economic consequences of using strategic energy resources as instruments of military confrontation.