Addressing a group of teachers and academics on the occasion of National Teachers’ Day on Tuesday morning, Ayatollah Khamenei drew attention to the issue of language, nationality, and flag as an essential issue.

“We must revive Iranian and Islamic identity and national character in the children of the country,” the Supreme Leader said.

“Language, nationality, and flag are among the basic and important issues. A student should be proud of being Iranian, which indeed is a source of pride,” he said.

The Supreme Leader commemorated the late Ayatollah Morteza Motahhari, martyred in 1979, saying he was a true teacher as he possessed all the characteristics expected of teachers in Iranian schools and universities.

“He had knowledge; he had commitment; he was precise; he was persistent; he had discipline and order in his work. And thank God, his martyrdom was also a blessing for the country,” he noted.

“He himself reached high positions (martyrdom) and his works gained a place in the hearts of the society as a result of this martyrdom. I recommend that his writings and prepared lectures be read carefully, especially by teachers,” he added.

Ayatollah Khamenei also thanked Iranian teachers for their noble endeavors despite all the problems they face, especially in deprived areas. The teacher, he added, is in fact the architect of the country’s future.

In a piece of advice to teachers, Ayatollah Khamenei said they should see their pupils as their children. “During the lessons, promote faith, goodness, and decent human qualities in the students through your behavior, deeds, and words. Suppose they are your own children.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, he called for measures to strengthen public schools, so that those who do not have enough financial resources would be able to receive proper education. He also criticized instability in the Education Ministry, saying, “In the last ten years, five ministers and four caretakers headed the ministry. This is a strange thing.”

He then said distance learning during the outbreak of the coronavirus proved to be detrimental to education across the country, arguing that students need to attend school and be with their classmates to learn optimally.

According to Ayatollah Khamenei, making progress will not be plausible without the help of the education system. He censured some previous officials for their “strategic mistake” of regarding education as a nuisance and a useless consumer of the budget.

The Supreme Leader further criticized certain previous decision-makers for trying to separate education from the government and hand it over to the private sector. “We really appreciate them,” he said sarcastically. “This is a great idea to destroy the country.”

Exemplary teachers from around the country attended the Tuesday meeting with the Supreme Leader, held at Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah.

Iran marks its National Teachers’ Day in memory of martyr Ayatollah Morteza Motahhari, a prominent Iranian scholar and philosopher who was assassinated a few months after the victory of the Islamic Revolution.