As schools across Iran reopened following a seven-month closure, reports indicate a significant intensification of militarization within the education system, involving the promotion of Basij membership, weapons training, and increased security measures around schools. These developments come amid the ongoing conflict following US and Israeli strikes last February, which disrupted the academic calendar nationwide.

Several schools in southern port cities including Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan, Bushehr, Bandar Lengeh, Siraf, Qeshm, and Kish have reportedly instructed students to carry “wartime identification tags” similar to military dog tags. These tags are intended to identify students in the event of casualties during attacks. While the Iranian Education Ministry has denied these allegations, families in the affected regions say such measures were confirmed by school officials, sparking concerns among parents about the safety and purpose of reopening schools during wartime.

This move to resume in-person education has been controversial, especially given fears of further strikes targeting critical infrastructure along the Persian Gulf. An attack on a school in Minab earlier in the conflict resulted in the deaths of approximately 120 children, heightening anxieties about student safety. Critics argue the issuance of military-style identification tags to students reflects a grim acceptance by authorities of potential student casualties, which some say could be exploited for propaganda purposes.

The Student Basij Organisation, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), plays a central role in the militarization efforts. It is actively recruiting “student commanders” through programs such as “Meydan-e Rouhey” (“Field of Growth”) to engage students in what the group describes as a cultural war. Education Minister Alireza Kazemi reportedly agreed in a recent meeting with Basij head Hossein Taeb and other officials to utilize schools as infrastructure for Basij training. School principals have been instructed to cooperate and prepare to convert facilities into sites for military deployment and training during emergencies.

The Basij’s involvement in schools includes overseeing cultural, scientific, recreational, and sporting activities, often coercing children to join to participate. The Education Ministry states that about five million students, roughly 30% of Iran’s school-age population, are now members of the Basij. This expansion follows a series of strikes against IRGC and Basij installations, leading to an increased military presence on educational premises. Parents warn that such integration blurs the distinction between civilian schools and military targets, potentially endangering students and staff.

Further militarization is evident in recent security exercises in Tehran featuring children and teenagers dressed in Basij uniforms carrying weapons, as well as reports of weapons training at boys’ schools nationwide. A video surfaced from Isfahan showed a female teacher in Basij attire addressing students to defend the Islamic Republic “to the last drop of blood.”

Security measures extend beyond militarization: Tehran’s traffic police have deployed female officers around girls’ primary schools, ostensibly to manage traffic, but critics fear increased surveillance tied to Basij campaigns such as “Supporters of the Supreme Leader” and “Field of Growth.”

Another notable institutional change is the founding of Iran’s first police-run boarding school, accommodating up to 1,200 students, intended to develop future police personnel, according to police chief Ahmadreza Radai.

These current actions build on earlier efforts to embed regime influence within education, such as the Amin Program that integrates clerics into schools. Over 20,000 “Amin missionaries” are deployed nationwide, with plans to expand to 60,000 schools despite opposition from parents and teachers’ groups.

The growing militarization of Iran’s educational environment underscores the regime’s increasing prioritization of ideological and military indoctrination amid ongoing conflict, raising significant concerns about the welfare and rights of children within the country.