Author:
I am Maryam, an Iranian Muslim woman shaped by Iran’s gender-segregated schools. Iran, a civilized nation with a rich, millennia-old culture, brims with diverse ethnicities, religions, races, dialects, and accents a vibrant tapestry of identities. Yet, its education system buries this diversity. I cherish hijab as my choice, but the mandatory “maghnaeh” felt oppressive, a tool of control. Uniforms erased the stunning array of local clothing, silencing ethnic voices. This clashes with Gay’s (2018) vision of culturally responsive teaching, which demands education mirror students’ cultural roots. As a Persian girl, I felt invisible, my heritage sidelined.
In girls’ schools, strict rules crushed diversity, especially for us. The curriculum, rigid with rote learning, ignored our gender and cultural uniqueness, offering conformity instead of empowerment. Ladson-Billings (1995) insists education should affirm identity and foster success, yet Iran’s system forces one dress code, one language “Farsi” and one narrative, unlike Canada, where I’ve seen diversity thrive. This suppression of varied clothing, dialects, and traditions saddens me for my fellow Iranians, whose rich multiplicity deserves celebration, not erasure.
As a mother, I face further exclusion. Iranian universities ban my toddler’s presence, a stark contrast to Canada’s flexible support for student-parents. This rejection of my diverse reality stifles my growth. Professionally, I yearn for teaching that embraces women, mothers, and Iran’s cultural mosaic. Personally, this reflection deepens my pride in my roots while sharpening my regret over an education that dims our diversity. Small steps welcoming local attire or supporting student-mothers could begin to heal this. Until then, I mourn how Iran’s ancient diversity remains unseen in its classrooms.
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Maryam, your reflection shines with the complex balance between cultural heritage and individual freedom that makes education in Iran so special. I respect the Iranian history that you and so many others hold dear. Iran’s educational system seems to offer a straight and narrow path of enlightenment that overlooks many other ways one can be illuminated by knowledge. The mandatory dress paints a contrast to the culturally responsive teaching that Gay (2018) describes. This is the teaching that embraces student backgrounds and incorporates their diverse experiences and ways of being into the educational process. While you respect the hijab as a choice, enforced dress codes and standardized narratives can feel limiting. And your perspective as a student and now as a mother reveals an issue that calls for a greater need for inclusivity in recognizing both the cultural identities that students bring to the educational space and in the pedagogies that are used to serve them.
I really like the callage you posted. And I am sorry to hear what happened to you and your family in terms of being a victim of education and traditions back in Iran. I wouldn’t survive one day in those schools. You have a quite clear vision to determine the contrast between Iranian and Canadian system. You have a good reason to be here. You are doing everything you can to protect your rights as a woman and a mother, and I am happy for you. Despite how strongly strict Iranian policies are, they are still a culture that has lasted for a long time. I think in our modern days, we need to apply for critical thinking on those, whether a culture itself is a good fit to this world today, or a change is needed for the sake of future generation.
Your discussion of how the dominant political ideology can suppress diverse cultures from expressing themselves is oppressive indeed. With such rich heritage, Iran could be an place to celebrate rather than oppress diversity.