TEHRAN -- In a keynote address at the National Festival for the Reform of Teaching Methods and Transformation in Learning Environments, President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday offered a compelling vision for the future of education in Iran. 
Speaking to a national audience of elementary and secondary school educators, the president emphasized that while building schools is a critical first step, it is what occurs within those walls that truly shapes the nation’s destiny.
“More important than constructing schools is what happens inside them,” Pezeshkian said. “Our hope rests in you, the teachers, to cultivate a generation whose foremost concern is harnessing their talents for the progress of this country—not pursuing emigration.”
Drawing an analogy between students and natural resources, Pezeshkian framed the classroom as a site of national wealth creation. 
“Children are the most valuable resource of this land—more precious than any mine,” he declared, lamenting that Iran has historically failed to fully invest in unlocking the potential of its youth. 
“If these children are nurtured properly, their concern will not be leaving the country, but staying to solve problems and build the future.”
The president called on educators to embrace more interactive and problem-centered pedagogies, emphasizing the power of multisensory learning. 
He urged teachers to move beyond passive listening, encouraging instead classrooms centered on discussion, collaboration, and hands-on engagement. 
“Teaching must be auditory, visual, and experiential,” he said, advocating for structured reporting on classroom learning as a means to promote team-based learning and knowledge application.
Pezeshkian also challenged prevailing generational narratives, rejecting the notion of today’s youth as alien or detached. “I don’t accept the term Generation Z. They are not different—we are the ones who have fallen behind,” he said. 
Rapid technological and social changes, he argued, demand that educators continually update their methods, models, and tools to remain relevant.
His remarks were delivered in conjunction with a national initiative to address educational infrastructure shortages and followed the unveiling of a 1,400-minute multimedia training package for teachers. 
Ten award-winning educators were honored at the event, representing 100 exemplary contributors to educational transformation.
In conclusion, Pezeshkian underscored the stakes: “If our brightest students dream of emigration, it means we’ve failed them educationally. You can change this, and we in government are committed to supporting you.”