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English-Language Schools in Iran Growing -- Students Want to Qualify to Study Abroad
More than 100,000 students in Iran will be taking their final university exams in the next few weeks. Bright Iranian youth are deserting in their thousands But while they may be looking forward to finishing their studies, what comes afterwards is a different matter altogether. A population boom in the 1980s means the country is now overwhelmingly young, with around 70% under the age of 30. Faced with poor job prospects and restrictive social conditions, thousands are leaving every year, creating alarm among the countryâs leaders. .... Dr Hassan Hossein, a lecturer in sociology at Tehran University, said: "When someone goes to university, it means they have entered an intellectual environment; they read more, they notice things more. "Thereâs a direct correlation between how closed a society is and the likelihood of flight from that society." English-language schools have mushroomed all over the country in the past few years. Qeshm language school in central Tehran opened just under a year ago with 80 students. Now they have more than 500 on their books. In fact so huge is the demand for places, they have had to open two other schools, with two more on the way. Most of the classes are for students preparing for an English-language exam, known as IELTS, compulsory for study overseas. Last year the number of applications in Iran rose by 84%. Economist Pooya Alaidini says Iran is suffering from the loss of so much talent. "The brain drain is a problem for the country because we are losing highly educated people and these people... could be our entrepreneurs who create jobs for the next generation." .... Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-03-30 |
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