September 06, 2019
For the first time, ethnic Azerbaijanis living in Iran’s northwest are to get some school instruction in their native language, according to an Azerbaijani broadcaster, Radio Azadliq, which said it was quoting Iran’s Education Ministry.
But many commentators said they didn’t expect much to happen as there are no textbooks at this time and teachers have not yet been hired.
A similar concession was made a few years ago to Kurds living in western Iran, but the absence of books and teachers has severely limited that instruction.
Starting from the new school year this month, some schools will teach Azerbaijani in school, Radio Azadliq reported.
Iranian Azerbaijanis have demanded the right to have Azerbaijani taught in local schools for decades.
The bulk of the world’s ethnic Azerbaijanis actually live in Iran. There are at least 15 million Azerbaijanis in the country, if not more. The population of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the former Soviet Union is about 10 million.
Azerbaijanis comprise the largest ethnic minority in Iran – about one-fifth of the total population.
The Radio Azadliq report said students will study the Azerbaijani language for two hours a week. At the moment, this is a pilot project.
Many in Azerbaijan were surprised that the Iranian authorities finally caved on the issue. But President Rohani promised in his 2013 campaign to introduce minority languages in the schools.