Hamidreza Kafash, the deputy of educational and cultural affairs at the Ministry of Education, seems to have distanced himself from the official policy of concealing and denying the sexual harassment of students by senior managers of this ministry. In an interview with ISNA (July 10, 2014), Kafash, with some ifs and buts, announced the design of sexual education courses for teachers, families, and students, saying: “We have limitations in this regard, but we are entering the field of educating families on this issue.” According to Kafash, the Parents and Educators Association teaches families the main topics of these discussions. The deputy of the Minister of Education also said about the sexual education and training of students: “It seems that we should indirectly convey some concepts and points to the student, for example, teach them the skill of saying ‘no’. These concepts and teachings are included in the new books that the Research Organization is developing.”

Deputy Minister of Education and Training emphasized that teachers in elementary school should seriously focus on teaching the issue of consent. He said, “Teachers should familiarize children with their rights and bodies to the extent that is permissible in the Islamic Republic.” According to Kafash, this education should be at a level that preserves the modesty and chastity of children and also teaches them to resist and say “no” to any inappropriate demands, and if pressured, they should be able to express it to someone else. The Deputy Minister of Education and Training concluded by stating that this work will begin with training mentors, teachers, and counselors. He said, “First, we need to review the knowledge and assets of teachers accurately through meetings and training courses so that they can transfer it to students.” Mr. Kafash’s positions in this interview are in direct contrast to his views in an interview with Shahrzad about a month ago.

The disclosure of sexual harassment and abuse of 6 11-year-old students in a school located in one of the villages near the Karaj highway in Ardibehesht month of 1393 (April/May 2014) was met with different reactions. The families of the victims reacted with anger and silence. The families who heard about the incident were mostly shocked and expressed concern about the future of their children in public schools. The majority of teachers, on social media and in schools, condemned the few “teacher-like” behaviors that see violence against students as a form of discipline, and the “devilish” individuals who harass and sexually abuse students while wearing the teacher’s uniform. A smaller group of teachers, while condemning the incident and acknowledging that it also happens in other parts of society, expressed their discomfort with the news being made public and said that such news makes families and students view teachers negatively.

But in the midst of all this, the reaction of Hamidreza Kafash, the deputy for education of the Minister of Education, was opportunistic and full of aggression and bias. In a controversial interview with a citizen, Kafash, referring to the 12 million and 300 thousand students studying in schools, said: “They are human beings after all. I don’t want to say that humans are infallible, but there were mistakes even during the time of the infallible…” Kafash added: “I don’t see this as a social phenomenon, I see it as a specific issue… In any case, car accidents happen in the country, we can’t say that traffic rules are not effective. Social incidents are normal to a certain extent.” The level of anger and literacy of the deputy minister can be evaluated by comparing “child sexual harassment” with “car accidents”.

The deputy minister, based on the prevailing discourse among managers, placed the issue in the ideological-political framework and said: “We are Iranians and we do not like it when one or two incidents like this happen in Tehran, they are broadcasted in foreign media. While in Western countries, there are 5 cases of such incidents happening every day and they do not allow anyone to be informed. Anyway, our country is an Islamic country and that is why such incidents are rare in Iran. When some of our problems are broadcasted by foreign networks, where has our national pride gone?”

Statistics on social issues such as addiction, child sexual abuse, physical punishment, and the use of physical and verbal violence against students have not been published so far in order to be able to express an opinion about the prevalence or rarity of social harms. On the contrary, officials try to cover up abnormalities and hide their existence in their talks and speeches. If only someone would tell the deputy minister that social abnormalities, including the issue of pedophilia, are seen in all Western, Eastern, and developed societies and have no connection to “national honor”, and their political view on this issue is a sign of their ignorance.

Education managers at different levels, from the minister to school principals and deputies, do not have a desire for news of this kind to be covered by the media. In the case of a deputy school principal assaulting a number of students, the Ministry of Education’s security department had forbidden parents from being informed and responding to reporters’ questions. The minister’s deputy confirmed this action in an interview with a newspaper, saying, “The intention of the security department was to not make this issue media coverage.” News of violence against students is only covered by the media when it leads to murder or physical harm to a student. Education authorities only comment on these issues when the news is leaked to the media through the judiciary or other sources. It seems that only a very small percentage of negative incidents in educational environments are reflected in the media.

The court handling the case of the deputy of the West Tehran school had not yet issued its verdict when news of the harassment of 14 elementary school boys in southern Tehran by their physical education teacher was published. The mother of one of the victims said in her complaint: “My son was one of the students chosen by the physical education teacher for the school’s football team. He went on various trips with 20 other students and because the person taking them was both a football coach and had a card from the federation, as well as being their school’s physical education teacher, we trusted him…” According to the investigating prosecutor, this case is not limited to physical abuse of the students, but the physical education teacher has also sexually harassed the children and forced some of them to stand naked in front of him and take pictures of them.

Pedophilia or child sexual abuse is a type of behavior characterized by a strong attraction to children. Most pedophiles are men because pedophilia is associated with a certain type of power. A pedophile may have a preference for their own or opposite sex. Some pedophiles engage in sexual activities with children, while others are satisfied with non-sexual acts such as touching or undressing the child (grooming) and even verbal jokes. Dormitories provide a unique opportunity for pedophiles. The risk of pedophiles is higher among teachers, sports coaches, clergy, and overnight supervisors. The pedophile is over 16 years old and the victim is usually under 13 years old. The phenomenon of pedophilia is different from homosexuality and same-sex activities. Victims of pedophilia are children who often have no knowledge of sexual issues and are being exploited.

The new statements of the Deputy Minister of Education and Training have several important aspects: First, the taboo of discussing sexual education and upbringing of students is broken. Second, the Department of Education and Training is getting closer to its inherent duties in schools, alongside unrelated matters such as sending students to holy places, organizing educational trips, promoting religious mourning, and forming mourning committees. Third, the education authorities distance themselves from seeking sanctity and showing off the educational environment, and covering up social abnormalities.

However, it is not expected that these statements will lead to effective practical actions for two reasons: firstly, the administrative structure of education is highly conservative and especially the educational deputy is under the control of extremist currents who strongly oppose such issues. Secondly, many institutions, organizations and individuals, such as religious authorities, seminaries, the Revolutionary Guards and Basij, Friday prayer leaders and groups, the Education Commission of the Parliament, supporters of Qalibaf, the Front of Stability and supporters of Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, etc. have influence in the field of education and have an impact on decision-making; teaching sexual issues, even within the limits of religious law, does not align with the beliefs of these groups.

Mr. Kafash, the deputy of education at the Ministry of Education, speaks in two short interviews about a unit with two different languages. This is understandable, but not acceptable. In the first interview, he speaks with a language of authority, denying and attacking the issue of child sexual abuse, politicizing it and attacking the media. This interview was aimed at pleasing powerful circles within and outside the education ministry. But the second interview, which probably will not go beyond promises, is a response to public concerns and critics and reformists. This duality in language and action, in the manner of extremist fundamentalists, has resulted in almost zero progress in the activities of this ministry.