A Critical Examination of the Narrative of Justice in Iran's Educational Policy-Making System

Document Type : پژوهشی

Authors

• Hojjat Saffarheidari ¹
• Amir Mohammad Tavan ²

¹ Associate Professor of Education Department, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Mazandarn, Babolsar, Iran.

² M.Ed., Education Department, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Mazandarn, Babolsar, Iran.

10.22067/fedu.2025.90566.1385

Abstract

Abstract:
     
This paper explores two central issues: first, the articulation of social and educational justice within selected post-revolutionary educational policy documents in Iran; and second, the challenges that emerge from this dominant narrative. To address these issues, the study employs both analytical methods—to clarify key concepts and propositions—and critical methods—to evaluate the underlying narratives and their implications. The primary sources analyzed include two foundational educational documents: Theoretical Foundations for the Fundamental Transformation of the Education System and the National Curriculum Document, along with additional relevant materials accessed by the researcher. Within the theoretical framework, the paper examines three major narratives of justice: the "cosmic order," the "theological," and the "secular." The findings suggest that the authors of these policy documents, grounded in a theological framework, attempt to align social and educational justice with Islamic teachings, offering an intra-religious interpretation of justice. However, this approach appears insufficient in addressing the pluralistic and evolving demands of various educational stakeholders. Central to these challenges is the persistent call for the elimination of educational discrimination. The study concludes that a more comprehensive engagement with alternative narratives of justice may be necessary to respond effectively to these demands.
Synopsis
The failure to achieve educational justice has always been one of the fundamental challenges for policy-making institutions. Broadly speaking, these challenges can be categorized into two main groups: theoretical challenges and practical challenges. In this context, the theoretical challenges refer to the mismatch of the narratives of justice within which policy-making occurs. These narratives stem from various ontological, anthropological, and sociological perspectives. Therefore, policymakers always formulate their policies based on a specific narrative about the world, society, humanity, and their relationship to these elements. The sources of these narratives can vary and include religious teachings, metaphysical beliefs, ideological dogmas, and even scientific findings.
In this article, three broad types of narratives can be discussed: the narrative of cosmic order, the theological narrative, and the secular narrative. In the grand narrative of cosmic order, justice is derived from the universal order of existence that uniformly governs nature, humanity, and society, with the educational system serving to legitimize the established natural order. In this narrative, distinctions among individuals and subsequently the unequal distribution of resources and opportunities are attributed to natural inequalities. This narrative was widely prevalent among Greek thinkers and philosophers.
In the theological narrative, the existing natural order is attributed to divine will and intention, and the distinctions and disparities are ascribed to the nature of humanity as God's creation. In this narrative, we encounter a theological-metaphysical reading that speaks of justice on both individual and social levels. At the individual level, justice refers to acknowledging the existential dimensions of a person and helping each dimension reach its ultimate potential. At the social level, justice is understood based on an accepted hierarchical order that is rooted in natural, religious, and gender distinctions. This narrative was also prevalent among Muslim theologians and philosophers.
The secular narrative addresses social justice as a consequence of awareness of the epistemological and methodological challenges of previous overarching narratives. It can also be emphasized that this narrative is based on a kind of induction and empirical observation. The secular narrative of justice offers a new interpretation of the relationships among individuals in society, providing mechanisms for the fair distribution of resources and opportunities through collective reasoning and setting contracts among people with each other and with the state.
As far as educational policy-making in Iran is concerned, the dominant narrative in the educational policy-making institution is the theological narrative. The main source of this narrative consists of religious teachings, which have been interpreted from a theological and metaphysical perspective. Based on this theological and metaphysical interpretation of these teachings, policymakers base their policies on the relationship between God, the world, society, humans, and ultimately the purpose of life in various dimensions. The framework that this narrative provides aids policymakers in defining and determining the ultimate goals of education, strategies, methods, individual and social needs, interests, talents, and similar matters. For example, concerning gender justice, policymakers believe that apart from the biological differences between men and women, there exists a type of inherent and natural difference that defines the purpose of each and cannot be ignored in distributing opportunities, resources, and choices. Based on this view, the educational policy-making institution attempts to institutionalize prevailing gender stereotypes, neglecting the role of social and historical factors in creating distinctions between women and men, attributing gender inequalities to sexual differences (Theoretical foundations of the fundamental transformation in the formal and public education system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2011, pp. 234, 250). It is also based on this narrative that parents lack the right to choose the type of upbringing for their children outside the established frameworks, or students face limitations in choosing their preferred field or course of study, especially in the arts (Islamic Republic National Curriculum Document, 2012, pp. 25-27).
 Over the past century, and as a result of the confrontation between Muslim countries and modern societies, the secular narrative of justice has received attention. In this context, Khaduri (2015) refers to the efforts of thinkers and reformists such as Seyyed Jamal, Abduh, Abdel-Razek Masri, and Abdel-Razek El-Sanhouri. According to him, the differing readings of social justice by these thinkers have created a foundation for the acceptance of democracy, parliamentarianism, and civil legislation. It seems that their intellectual and practical efforts have been effective not only in establishing a democratic governance system but also in shaping a fair educational policy system that transforms from a restrictive framework to an empowering one. Furthermore, these efforts appear to provide diverse opportunities for educational actors, regardless of their gender, social class, or sectarian and religious affiliations, to access resources and opportunities equitably.
Conclusion
Although it is generally believed that the success or failure of educational justice policies is influenced by operational factors, we cannot overlook the role of the epistemological foundations or theoretical approaches dominating policy systems. The essential role of these foundations lies in producing the grand narrative or narratives that determine the direction of educational policy formulation. As mentioned, these narratives can be categorized into three main groups: cosmic order, theological, and secular. Among these three grand narratives, the Iranian educational policy system has been influenced by the theological narrative of justice. Such a narrative of justice seems incapable of fulfilling the diverse expectations and demands of individual and social actors in the education and training sector. One of the challenges arising from this situation is the inconsistency of policies with the realities of the evolving contemporary Iranian society. This inconsistency has led critics to read educational documents as unrealistic and idealistic, deeming them impractical. The lived experiences of educational actors over the past decade demonstrate the failure of the educational policy-making institution in providing theoretical justification and practical realization of justice policies. To resolve this challenge, a change in narrative is required. In this article, based on the efforts made by some Muslim countries, adopting the secular narrative of justice has been proposed and defended. It appears that within this framework, a better consensus on justice can be achieved. This narrative provides greater opportunities for action and role-playing by stakeholders and, consequently, equitable educational policies can reflect the multifaceted needs and demands of all.

Keywords

• Narrative
• Justice
• Educational Policy-Making
• Iran
• Criticism

Main Subjects

• Educational Philosophy

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