TEHRAN – All educational centers and universities started operation in person on Sunday, after 25 months of online education due to the coronavirus pandemic, IRIB reported.

Following the decision of the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control and President Ebrahim Raisi, all universities affiliated with the ministries of science and health, and schools affiliated with the ministry of education, must operate in person on April 3 as the new cases of the disease have notably reduced.

Science Minister Mohammad-Ali Zolfigol stated that the health of students and academics while attending the universities in person is our priority.

Zolfigol attended the university and school reopening ceremony at the University of Tehran on Sunday.

“If for any reason it is not possible for students to attend courses, they can apply for online education,” he said.

"One of the effective ways to create jobs, especially for university graduates, is knowledge-based companies, so we are determined to use the great potential of the university community along with science and technology parks and centers," Zolfigol noted.

All educational centers in Iran have been closed since February 2020.

In order for students to keep in touch with their studies, the Ministry of Education launched a homegrown mobile application on April 9, called SHAD, providing students with distance learning programs. More than 60 percent of students and 94 percent of teachers attended 64 percent of classes through the SHAD app, whose acronym in Persian translates as the Students Education Network.

Moreover, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) also began to broadcast televised educational programs on a daily basis after school closures.

Due to the vaccination and the reduction of transmission, schools are gradually reopened since September 2021, and about 15 million students across the country attended schools with strict observance of health protocols. However, the fifth wave of the pandemic prevented the students to enjoy face-to-face education.

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