Historical Studies

Historical Studies

The Role of International Organizations in Linking Iran's Educational System with the Global Free Trade Program (1949-1978)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Ali Qorbani 1
Shahin Iravani 2
Marzieh Aali 3
Mahdi Sepehri 4
1 PhD in Philosophy of Education. Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy of Education. Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy of Education. Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
4 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Philosophy, University of Imam Sadiq, Tehran, Iran
10.30465/hcs.2024.45861.2818
Abstract
Abstract
The new educational system is one of the most important institutions in the process of national and international social construction in new societies. The changes in Iran's educational system from the establishment in the first Pahlavi period to the Islamic Revolution took place with the political and economic interventions of foreigners. Our main question is to examine the role of the program of international organizations established after the Second World War, in creating a link between Iran's educational system and the global free trade program. The hypothesis of this research is the existence of a relationship between the evolution of the educational system in Iran and the political and economic program designed in the post-war period. In order to investigate this hypothesis, it has been analyzed by the library and document method, especially by examining the documents left over from the development plans compiled by foreign organizations and consultants between 1949 and 1979. The main result of this research is finding educational planning lines centered on "career and academic guidance" in the field of creating a division of labor based on international needs, as well as changing the curriculum of schools in order to expand the lifestyles of urban consumers, in order to develop the consumption of industrial goods in the context of free worldwide trade.
Keywords: International Organizations, Global Trade, Truman's Four Point, Life Style, Formal Education System, Educational Guidance.
 
Introduction
The studies conducted in the field of history and sociology of education, especially development studies, show the serious links between the development of the educational system and the goals of economic and social development in new societies. Therefore, intervention in the formation and evolution of new school systems in underdeveloped countries has been one of the serious intervention positions of international powers.
The formation and evolution of the new educational system in Iran is not an exception to this rule, and we have always witnessed various interventions by foreigners and global political and economic powers in this area during the Qajar and Pahlavi periods. after the Second World War, trends have changed and more than national missions, international missions and global organizations such as UNESCO and the World Bank have been active in Iran. Now there is a question whether the activities of these international organizations and institutions in Iran and their interventions in the public education system have anything to do with economic goals, especially the World Trade Program?
 
Materials & Methods
This study was carried out with the purpose of investigating the goals, extent and manner of interventions of international organizations in Iran's educational system during the Pahlavi II period and One of its basic hypotheses is the existence of a relationship between the World Trade Development Program and the transformation of the educational system in Iran. The approach used in this research is the institutional approach to the educational system, which is also known by titles such as neo-functionalism and Ecological World Systems Theory. The attention of this approach to international trends as a single ecological system, provides the possibility of investigating the two-way effects of internal developments of educational systems with political and economic elements at the international macro level.
In this research, the evolution of Iran's educational system during the second Pahlavi era, especially from 1949, was investigated by examining the remaining documents of the international educational plans compiled for the evolution of Iran's educational system, which include: The plan of overseas consultants in 1949, the educational plan of Truman's four principle office between 1953 and 1955, UNESCO's consulting activities in the 1950s and 1960s, and finally the educational guidance plan at 1970, which was compiled and implemented by the consultants of UNESCO and World Bank.
 
Discussion & Result
New programs of Iranian educational system after world war II with direct interventions of foreing contries and world organizations in the field of career guidance, such as what was carried out through the educational guidance program with the consultants of UNESCO and the financing of the World Bank at 1970s. seems to be related to the developments of the international economy.Considering Iran's capacity to produce the necessary energy resources for the world trade program after World War II, Iran's traditional business system, which relied on agriculture, has not been able to meet the needs of oil and gas extraction, processing and supply. The same is true for other vital resources for industrial production. It seems that the new educational guidance system based on changing the ratio between agriculture, industry and service careers has been implemented and has had a direct relationship with foreign consultations in this field. Also, the necessity of such a transformation in the lifestyle system of the Iranian society is a change in the peasant lifestyle to an urban life, as well as the use of industrial goods offered in the newly emerging world trade market. The implementation of these plans continuously through the integration programs of the rural and nomadic communities in the urban society and educational targeting in this direction, the establishment of psychological systems in the direction of "adapting the personality of the Iranian student", the establishment of an integrated system of authoring and publishing textbooks and serious interventions by foreign institutions in This field, home economic training for girls and training to use new industrial tools at home that has implemented  in the 50s to 70s .
 
Conclusion
This study demonstrates that the reforms and changes in Iran's educational system during the second Pahlavi period, especially in career and academic guidance, were directly influenced by the global economic goals and programs established after World War II. International organizations such as UNESCO and the World Bank played a significant role in aligning the educational system with international labor market needs and promoting an urban, consumer-oriented lifestyle. Although this research does not assess the success of these programs, it highlights that the major educational reforms in Iran should be understood within the broader context of political and economic objectives set by the international community during that era.
Keywords
International Organizations
Global Trade
Truman's Four Point
Life Style
Formal Education System
Educational Guidance

Subjects

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Historical Studies
Volume 15, Issue 2 - Serial Number 30
Autumn and Winter 2024-2025
October 2024
Pages 225-258

  • Receive Date 15 June 2023
  • Revise Date 28 January 2024
  • Accept Date 07 February 2024