After mass protests, Iran bans English in schools to fight Western ‘cultural invasion’

• Iran has banned teaching English in primary school classrooms as the country tries to quell Western influence.
• The Iranian government has blamed the West for provoking recent mass protests against the country’s regime, which have at least left 21 dead. 
• Iran claims the protests have ended, however social media still points to signs of unrest.

Iran has banned the teaching of English in primary school classrooms.

The announcement follows claims by Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that early learning of the language paves the way for “cultural invasion” of Western values. The government’s decision comes shortly after a week of mass protests against the country’s leadership which spread to more than 80 cities and small towns and left at least 21 dead.

“Teaching English in government and non-government primary schools in the official curriculum is against laws and regulations,” Mehdi Navid-Adham, head of the High Education Council, told state TV on Saturday.

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Featured image courtesy of AP