A video recorded at Shahid Karimi School in the village of Dak Abad, Hamadan Province, Iran, showing a teacher physically assaulting students, has drawn international condemnation and put the spotlight on systemic abuses and the lack of accountability for violence against children within Iran’s educational system.
The distressing footage, which circulated rapidly on social media despite Iran’s stringent online censorship, depicts a male teacher repeatedly striking young boys in a classroom. The audible distress of the children in the video, and the lack of intervention from authorities at the scene, have driven calls from human rights groups for urgent action and independent oversight.
Documentation of Abuse
The incident is not isolated. Human rights watchdogs, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have documented a pattern of violence, intimidation, and psychological abuse in Iranian state-run schools for years. Iran’s own laws formally ban corporal punishment, but authorities routinely ignore violations, with offenders rarely facing consequences. Reports indicate that vulnerable groups, especially ethnic and religious minorities, are disproportionately victimized in these environments, receiving harsher treatment and fewer protections than their peers.
Ideological and Political Factors
Iran’s educational institutions are deeply influenced by the ideology of the Islamic Republic. Since 1979, Iranian schools have served as venues for state-backed indoctrination, with teachers functioning both as educators and as instruments of political and religious conformity. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other regime figures have repeatedly stressed the importance of loyalty to the system and enforcing strict moral and religious codes among youth. In this context, violence can become a tool for enforcing obedience or punishing perceived dissent.
The use of physical punishment in schools is often coupled with psychological intimidation. Students who do not comply with state-imposed rituals, dress codes, or ideology report being singled out for humiliating treatment. Girls, in particular, suffer both for supposed dress violations and for any perceived deviation from prescribed behavior. These patterns are reported more acutely in rural and minority communities, such as among Kurds, Baluchis, and Ahwazi Arabs, where oversight is markedly weaker.
International Response
Following the release of the video, human rights advocates have renewed their demands for the Iranian government to fulfill its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Iran has ratified the convention but has consistently failed to implement effective protective measures, leaving children exposed to both teacher-perpetrated violence and reprisal for reporting abuses.
Amnesty International reiterated calls for the establishment of independent investigative mechanisms and for protection of students, parents, and whistleblowers. However, repeated promises of internal review by Iranian authorities have yielded little change—the vast majority of complaints lead to no meaningful repercussions, and domestic media coverage of such scandals is tightly restricted.
Systemic Climate of Fear
The culture of impunity is reinforced by Iran’s broader repressive apparatus, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has a long record of suppressing dissent through violence and intimidation. The regime’s pattern of domestic repression is mirrored in its support for regional terror groups, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, as part of a broader campaign to maintain power at home and project influence abroad.
Children and families who challenge the system are often deterred by threats or retaliation. Teachers who refuse to participate in abusive practices report professional reprisals. Iran’s tightly controlled media ecosystem and state surveillance amplify fear, often deterring victims or their families from seeking justice.
The Refugee Experience
For many Iranians who have fled the regime, violence in schools is a principal driver for seeking asylum. Testimonies from refugees in Europe, North America, and Israel describe an environment of relentless fear—where violence is used to suppress individuality, enforce ideological conformity, and punish minorities. Human rights researchers note that victims of such abuse exhibit high rates of trauma, anxiety, and long-term educational setbacks.
International organizations underscore the need for special protections and psychological support for Iranian child refugees, and call on host countries to address the particular needs of those who have suffered systemic violence under state authority.
The Iranian Regime’s Denials
Iranian officials have responded to the recent outcry with familiar denials, accusations of foreign meddling, and assurances that the incident does not reflect the values of the Islamic Republic. Nonetheless, independent observers and former educators say the problem is endemic and that failure to address it fosters a cycle of abuse and institutional mistrust.
Wider Implications
Analysts contend that abuse within Iran’s education system reflects the broader character of the regime, which uses violence as a routine means of social control. The global community, including the United Nations and prominent Western governments, have been urged to maintain pressure through diplomatic channels, sanctions, and public advocacy, emphasizing the interconnectedness of domestic repression and regional destabilization.
Israeli policymakers have consistently warned that the brutality regularly experienced by Iranians within their own borders is symptomatic of the same ideology behind Tehran’s regional proxy wars and acts of terrorism. They argue that the international community must recognize that state-sanctioned violence against children is part of a broader pattern which extends to Iran’s backing of groups that threaten regional peace and Israeli security.
Grassroots Advocacy and Hope for Reform
Despite the risks, grassroots Iranian activists—many operating from exile—continue to document abuse, push for reform, and provide support to victims. Women’s and children’s rights groups, often collaborating with sympathetic figures inside Iran, campaign for the abolition of corporal punishment and an end to ideological indoctrination. The viral video from Dak Abad has been widely heralded as a testament to the courage of those who, at great personal risk, continue to expose the realities of life under the Islamic Republic.
Conclusion
The Shahid Karimi School video is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of Iran’s children and the resilience of those fighting against entrenched abuse. While public condemnation grows, sustained international scrutiny, advocacy, and support for Iranian civil society remain essential. True justice will require both the dismantling of the culture of impunity within the Iranian education system and broader political change that places the rights and safety of children above ideology or regime preservation.
