Circulating Rules in Iran, Ugly People are forbidden to be Teachers

Iran prohibits teachers with poor appearances to teach in the classroom, including for those with acne. The Iranian Ministry of Education recently published a list detailing the hundreds of diseases and conditions that must be sterile from every school teacher.

But it turns out most of the details are related to physical appearance. For example, someone who has a squint eye, has a large mole on the face or skin conditions such as acne or facial eczema is not allowed to teach.

Having a scar or a yeast infection is also included in the list. While other health disorders are also included in the list, among others, female infertility, cancer, kidney disease and color blindness.

According to the Metro page, Friday, August 25, 2017, the list was circulated after being reported by the FARS news agency indicating that prospective teachers spend more time undergoing medical tests than the time for training related to teaching skills.

Many social media users oppose the rule on the grounds that it is highly discriminatory and violates human rights.

They say, if the rules were implemented, then great people like the scientist Stephen Hawking would not be able to teach the students.

In response to this response, a presidential adviser promised to investigate the circulation of the list. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education also said that the regulations specifically targeting the women would be removed and other lists would also be reviewed.