Afghan Immigrants in Iranian Educational System: A Case Study to Give Them a Voice

Afghan refugees and forced immigrants with a population of around 1.6 million make up the largest group of Asian protracted refugees in bordering countries such as Iran and Pakistan. Across the globe, it is quite probable for such minority groups to face different types of cultural, social, political and educational discrimination. On this basis, this case study is an attempt to explore how Afghan students perceive different aspects of the educational practices they are offered in Iranian educational system. For this purpose, 5 Afghan students studying at Iranian high schools were selected and interviewed to figure out their perspectives towards Iranian educational systems in general and the textbooks in particular. The thematic analyses of the obtained data indicated that Afghan refugee students perceive five categories of barriers in Iranian educational system including emotional and social, economic and financial, cultural, welfare, and political. The results serve as a foundation for understanding how Afghan refugees perceive educational processes in Iranian educational system. Further, the findings unfold some less heard aspects of refugees’ educational experiences in an Asian context.