Nationwide Program to Strengthen Family Bonds
Miillions of parents will be covered by the nationwide program to strengthen family bonds developed recently by experts at the Education Ministry.
Accordingly, four training sessions will be held annually for all members of the Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA).
About 26 million parents will be addressed in training sessions on the subject of strengthening family relationships, Education Minister Ali Asghar Fani said, quoted by IRNA.
The rising rate of divorce in the country has necessitated consultancy services by the ministry to 6.5 million students of separated families to enable them to cope with stress.
"Parents are perceived by children as heroes with supernatural abilities. For a child, divorce shatters this basic belief in parents' abilities to care for them," said Fani.
"Therefore they need special support and intervention to enable them cope with their emotional scars and distress."
Helping students to cope with parental divorce is not the only measure taken by the ministry. Preventive programs have been also considered for both parents and students.
Divorce and related problems could preoccupy children's mind and adversely affect their power of concentration. Such children should not be blamed for poor school performance. Emotional support should also be enhanced to reduce the risk of the affected children's vulnerability to social abuse. Additionally, school teachers should be informed, as it could help them empathize with kids of divorced families, he said.
The ministry has devised the program to prepare children for healthy relationships in the future as they tend to learn and value concepts taught in their younger days.
Fani said new concepts have also been introduced in students' textbooks, including positive family behavior and the disadvantages of divorce. The new books indirectly encourage and inculcate positive behavior among students. The measure has been taken to help stop the rising trend of divorce.
"Since schools are in direct contact with families, they can be very influential in securing family ties."
Although the Education Ministry has an important role in improving family relationships, achieving the ultimate goal is only possible through cooperative efforts from other ministries too, he added.
Between 18 and 19 divorces are registered every hour in Iran. Last year (ended March 20), 163,572 divorces were recorded, an increase of 5.3% compared to the previous year.
According to the Organization for Civil Registration, 91% of divorces occur in urban areas and 9% in rural regions.
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