Khatami, political reform and education in Iran

Khatami was elected President of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1997. He came to power with the promise of creating an Islamic civil society and bringing about political reform, rule of law, freedom, and religious democracy. He advocated such values as tolerance, moderation, respect for diversity, and dialogue at the domestic and international arenas. Khatami assigned schools the task of creating pious, moral, politicised, and empowered individuals with a strong Iranian-Islamic identity, capable of maintaining a balanced relationship with the West. This article seeks to identify the pillars of Khatami's thoughts and assess whether his reformist agenda is reflected in formal schooling. An analysis of the prevailing educational goals and values illustrates that although some of Khatami's ideals are reflected, schools are still parochial, separating 'us' from 'them', with no attempt to prepare the young for global citizenship. Iranian schools continue to remain bastions of conservatism and ideology.