Tehran
Schools in Iran were re-opened to 15 million students on Saturday after a seven-month closure, despite concerns over increased spread of the novel Coronavirus in the country.
“This year, we shoulder a heavier burden of responsibility toward our students,” said President Hassan Rouhani, who oversaw the opening of schools in a video conference broadcast live on state television.
Education and health are equally important to society, he said but added that parents would not be forced to send their children back to school.
Iranian media said that seminaries also reopened on Saturday to about 50,000 students.
Several medical professionals have voiced concerns over the reopening of schools and universities in Iran, one of the countries worst-hit by the coronavirus pandemic in the Middle East.
