Education in Azerbaijani in Iran – Will Pezeshkian fulfil his promise?

The right of Azerbaijanis living in Iran to receive education in their mother tongue has been debated for many years. Although this right is enshrined in the Constitution, it has yet to be implemented in practice. To address the issue, the Iranian government is being urged to take gradual steps and establish a place for the Azerbaijani language within the education system.

TodayPress TV reports that these views were expressed by Jashgun Mammadov, Scientific Secretary of the Presidium of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) and PhD in Economics.

“Throughout history, Azerbaijanis living in Iran have played an important role in the country’s social, political, scientific and cultural life, making significant contributions to its development. However, the right of our compatriots to receive education in their native language has still not been ensured. Although the Azerbaijani language has a rich literary and historical heritage, unfortunately, its use has remained largely confined to everyday communication and has not extended beyond the domestic sphere. Yet the right to education in one’s mother tongue is not merely a matter of language and culture; it is also an integral part of fundamental human rights.

“Article 15 of Iran’s Constitution permits the use of regional and ethnic languages in the press and mass media, as well as the teaching of their literature in schools. This clearly provides a constitutional basis for teaching the Azerbaijani language. However, these legal provisions have not yet been fully implemented in practice. The first priority should be to develop programmes for systematic Azerbaijani-language instruction in schools, publish textbooks and train qualified teachers.

“Experience from Dagestan and Georgia could be useful in this regard. In areas where Azerbaijanis live in significant numbers, these countries have developed some experience in providing education in the mother tongue and teaching Azerbaijani as a separate subject. Azerbaijan could also share its academic and educational resources, as well as its experience in this field, with Iran.

“At the same time, it is wrong to view demands for education in Azerbaijani as separatism or a threat to the country’s territorial integrity. Protecting the state language should not prevent other ethnic communities from exercising their right to education in their mother tongue.

“The issue could be addressed in stages. As a first step, Azerbaijani language and literature should be taught as separate subjects in schools. The next stage could involve considering a transition to bilingual education. In the longer term, it is important to open schools providing instruction in Azerbaijani and introduce teaching in this language at higher education institutions.

“President Masoud Pezeshkian’s promises during his 2024 election campaign to implement Article 15 of the Constitution are also significant in this regard. However, on February 26, 2025, a bill providing for the teaching of non-Persian languages as elective subjects in schools was rejected in parliament, with 104 votes in favour and 130 against.

“Nevertheless, I believe the Pezeshkian administration can demonstrate political will and take steps towards resolving this issue. The Azerbaijani language is an inseparable part of the national identity and historical heritage of our compatriots living in Iran,” Jashgun Mammadov said.

Jala Rovshan