This paper is a reaction to two publications. The first of these is an article by Manucher Afzal entitled, ""Education, Nationalism and Modernization in Iran." The second publication is the first chapter of a book by Edward Ignas entitled, "The Traditional American Educational System." The articles are each delineated followed by a reaction in the form of a discussion and comparison.
Education, Modernization and Nationalism in Iran: Publication
Afzal's article discusses the history of education in Iran as one of struggle between the forces of Islamic culture and Nationalism fostered by Western secularism and ethnocentrism. He notes that after the conquest of Persia, in the 7th century A.D., by the Arabs, the education of Iranians was invested in Islamic schools.
At the elementary level, schooling consisted of learning simple scriptures and doctrine of the Quran. At the secondary level, however, there was an intensification of religious learning as well as instruction in math, astronomy, chemistry and medicine.
Traditional schooling was characterized by: (1) strict and severe discipline as well as austere conditions; (2) a lack of tuition with schools being supported by private endowments; (3) non-uniformity of teacher certification (if a scholar felt a student was ready to teach, he gave him permission to do so); (4) varying amounts of student stipends; and (5) an emphasis on intellectual debate which, over the years, deteriorated into rote memorization and articulation of various positions without any real critical thinking.
Contact, in the 19th century, with European powers began a process of absorption of Western notions, values, ways, and knowledge. However, the secularism and ethnocentrism of Western values resulted in an educational system that emphasized scientific and technical knowledge, excluded religion from the curriculum of public schools, and engendered feelings of cultural inadequacy. This feeling...