Education in Persepolis

"The educational system and what is written in school books, at all levels, are decadent, everything needs to be revised to ensure that our children are not led astray from the true path of Islam...That's why we're closing all the universities for a while. Better to have no students at all than to educate future imperialists" (73).

We have talked a lot about the importance of education and the standpoints of many educated scholars. In DuBois we talked about education for the white man versus the black man and the different opportunities that each man is provided in America. Ultimately, DuBois decides that 10% of men (regardless of his color but according to his mentality) is hard-wired for higher education and that 90% of men are hard-wired for tasks that can be learned in trade school or apprentenceship. The limitations on opportunities for black people in America compared to those for white people is a real problem being combated today. However, taking a look at Persepolis provides an even greater dilemma. What if education was denied of an entire nation? What if you have the capacity, endurance, and motivation to become a scientist but are denied the opportunity to even learn about the field? George Orwell's 1984 reminds me of the Islamic situation. History is rewritten and facts are produced according to Big Brother's wishes. It is said that he who controls the present controls the past and the future. I think that Americans take living in a free country for granted. Yes, there are limitations and injustices, but I could never imagine being denied an opportunity to seek the truth about an historical event or to find out how to go about solving an algebraic equation. Education is precious and so is freedom.