Education International condemns military strikes on Iran and attacks on schools
Education International (EI) unequivocally condemns the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran, including the bombings that struck two schools — the Shajare Tayyiba elementary school for girls in the southern Iranian town of Minab and another school in Tehran — on 28 February. The attack on the girls’ school in Minab killed at least 175 people, mainly schoolchildren and several teachers, and injured around 100 others, according to local reports.
Children, teachers, and schools must never be military targets. The killing and wounding of students and educators is an intolerable violation of human rights and a grave breach of international humanitarian law.
EI echoes the urgent message of its member organization, the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers Trade Associations (CCITTA), which has strongly denounced these attacks. We join their call for the immediate cessation of all actions that place civilians at risk, and for the unwavering protection of schools as safe spaces for learning.
As educators and unionists, we call upon the international community to act urgently to stop and to condemn the use of military force and the targeting of civilian infrastructure, including schools.
Education International will continue to call for respect for the Iranian people to pursue peaceful, democratic solutions for their country and for the respect of their human and labor rights in all instances.
We reaffirm our unwavering support for the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom, dignity, and human rights. Their future must be decided by them—and no one else.
EI will continue to advocate for a peaceful and just world where schools remain places of joy, learning, and growth—never battlegrounds.
For more on our solidarity with Iran, click here.
