Iran bans English in primary schools after leader's warning

Iran has banned the teaching of English in primary schools, a senior education official said.

In this Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018 file photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Source: AAP

English will no longer be taught in Iran primary schools, according to a senior education official, after the country’s Supreme Leader said early learning of the language opened the way to a Western 'cultural invasion'.

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