Iran Sets Guidelines for Educational Packages in COVID-19 Pandemic

A discussion session was held to prepare the virtual training packages of the Organization for Educational Research and Planning in yellow and red conditions of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Hassan Maleki, the head of Organization for Educational Research and Planning, said: “Various deputies of this organization are preparing for the new academic year.

Emphasizing that the Organization for Educational Research and Planning is following two goals, he added: "The first, which is also hard, is the production and printing of textbooks. One of the important issues in this field is receiving the requests for educational materials by provincial working groups; and we hope that its shortcomings will be resolved soon.”

“Preparing and compiling an educational package for the yellow and red conditions of COVID-19 pandemic is another issue in textbook production. We are trying to evaluate the prepared textbooks before presenting it to higher officials.”

Dr. Maleki added: The current situation of the country shows we will not have face-to-face training for the next academic year; so we have to be well-prepared for online education. The main question is how should we deal with teachers, students and their parents to answer their concerns about the new educational methods during COVID-19 pandemic?

Dr. Ali Mohebbi, the Deputy of Curriculum Planning and Production of Training and Learning Packages, on his turn stated: Offices should clearly explain the content, timing and methods for emergency situation. The Organization for Educational Research and Planning should also clarify the syllabus for the beginning of the new academic year.

In this session reports on the measures taken were also presented which included summarizing and representing the designed time tables, facilitating approach of the organization, easing the virtual training of technical and vocational courses, upgrading the Roshd network, preparing multimedia magazines.

Summing up the meeting, Dr. Maleki noted: "We must have theoretical basis for our work; however, but the important point is the unusual situation of the time being. it should be managed in a way that on the 15th of September, we provide an applicable training package for teachers, students and their parents.”.

The head of Organization for Educational Research and Planning outlines the framework of the organization's actions for the current situation; principles, general guidelines as well as definitions and semantics.

 “The framework should be meaningful, determinant and facilitator. Each part of should be helpful and transparent. The framework should specifically clarify how the teacher can connect to the Shad or National Roshd network in teaching, and moreover indicate the role and expectations of the participants.

He pointed out the differences the current situations and stressed many points might be included in preparing the framework such as  the differences between workshop and non-workshop courses, authenticating student training and preparing executive implications for produced packages.

Dr. Makeki recommended to the Office of Publications and Educational Technology that all their attempts should be focused on providing “a complementary and rich package for each course and it has to include educational videos, preferred teaching patterns, appropriate textbooks, audio files, and etc.”

 “The Office of Publications and Educational Technology should consider scientific and educational needs; culture and values; being in line with transformation guidelines and following them; overseeing the evaluation of products by forming committees with the help of other offices and other departments, especially the private sector, to organize the programs and activities of the organization.”