Supreme Leader Meets with Teachers (07/05/2014)

Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, met Wednesday morning with thousands of teachers. Speaking at the meeting, His Eminence described acquiring knowledge, teaching, and strengthening morality as the three main elements of the noble and glorious vocation of teaching. He stressed the necessity of implementing the plan of transforming the educational system, adding: "Complete support for this great organization is an effective investment for the bright future of the children of the country and for the rapid progress of dear Iran in worldly and otherworldly areas."

Illustrating the main dimensions of teaching, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution reiterated: "Teaching how to acquire knowledge is an important responsibility, but what is more important is teaching children and teenagers how to think."

Ayatollah Khamenei stated that shallow outlooks and shallow learning cripple society, saying: "If students learn from their teachers how to think in the right way, the future of the country will be founded on thinking and reason. Therefore, the dear teachers have a heavy responsibility in this regard."

His Eminence described the practical teaching of morality as the third dimension of the honorable vocation of teaching, stressing: "Achieving lofty goals and ideals requires patient, wise, religious, innovative, kind, courageous, pious, polite and diligent individuals. And teachers play a primary, deep and permanent role in building such individuals."

He called on the officials in charge of the educational system to pay serious attention to implementing the plan of transforming the educational system, adding: "Implementing this fundamental and helpful plan requires a practical roadmap. This roadmap needs to be prepared and implemented - step by step - in collaboration with the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to manpower as another important issue for the educational system, saying: "This determining organization is directly or indirectly in contact with tens of millions of people. Therefore, its managers and high-ranking officials should have specific characteristics."

Ayatollah Khamenei mentioned: "Your priority should be young, revolutionary, religious, enthusiastic, motivated and diligent forces. You should pay attention that achieving the goals of the educational system is the only issue that officials and managers of this organization should focus on."

His Eminence highlighted the necessity to rely on revolutionary and religious forces in the educational system, reiterating: "The main goal of the people and officials is to create an exemplary and advanced society - in material, spiritual and moral areas - in the shade of Islam and the Holy Quran. Taking the long path of achieving this goal requires building an innovative, broad-minded and determined generation in the educational system. This task can be carried out by religious and revolutionary managers and forces."

He stated that focusing on political and partisan orientations is a poison for the educational system, saying: "Unfortunately, this outlook became dominant in a certain era and it inflicted many losses."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed that all organizations - particularly governmental organizations in charge of the budget - should support the educational system. He reiterated: "The more we invest in the educational system, the more positive results we will achieve. This is because this organization is the root and basis of all achievements in the present time and in the future."

Ayatollah Khamenei described paying attention to textbooks as very important, adding: "Textbooks should be well-developed. They should not contain any weakness and deviation - whether political or religious - and they should not distort the truth. Therefore, the officials in charge of preparing textbooks should carry out their responsibilities with complete precision and trustworthiness."