می بخور، منبر بسوزان - مردم آزاری نکن

Thanks Shazde

Our Nazems were women and they made sure they didn't fall behind their male colleagues.

...

I tried hard, but oddly I can't remember my first day at school!

suffice to say, I'd my share of encounters with these sadistic pigs in elementary school ... 

-F

Nice blog Shazdeh

When I was studying at university in Iran, I had not so bad days.

متاسفانه بدتر هم شده است

آن موقع تازه خوبش بود.

بعد از تصفیه مدارس از معلمین "غیر مکتبی‌" و گماشتن یک مشت پاسدار و بسیجی‌ بیسواد و عقده ای، بسیار بدتر شده است. آخرین باری که به یکی‌ از مدارس اسلامی-انقلابی رفت و آمد داشتم، آنقدر اسفناک بود که انسان را به یاد زندان می‌انداخت!

Hoshang and Kazem

Just ordered it on netflix (all of my favorite actors in one place) - Thanks!

Kazem, I used to wish Aghaye Aalidaayi get uncontrollable diareaha or a very nasty wife who didn't love him at all... that's how I hated him! Some teachers brought out the worst in us... not that much has changed, from what I hear, Shazdeh's right.

Abuse

in schools reminds me of the British system. When I was a kid my parents sent me to England one summer to a boarding school to lean English the "immersion" way. That was my one and only exposure to the English system.

Honestly the teachers were so sadistic they made Iran look good. They took active pleasure in belittling us. We got "one" shower the whole 2 months there. We were all lined up naked. Then given 3 minutes each to shower. It really was POW style. We all slept in one big room; needed permission to do even pee at night. We addressed teachers as "Master". It was one sick scene I will never forget. I shudder to think how much my parents were made to pay  to get their son tortured. 

So you all had fairly pleasant schooling ;-)

My memory of real violence goes back to high school in Iran. Here is two:

1) During a Jabr (Aljabra) class one of the students had an epileptic fit, the nazem (prefect) was called to the class. While standing next to the teacher, the student on the floor having his fit  kind of touched nazem's trousers with his shoe. This Animal started kicking the student repeatedly (student was partially or fully unconscious kicking around the floor) telling him to get up you pedarsag and other obscenities.

2) Middle of the exams once this same maniac came in to check things, one student had smiled or something, he was at the back of the room and the desks were stuck together for the exam to allow more in one room. So, the guy clibmed on our desks stepping on a good number of exam papers to get to the back and starts kicking, slapping and swearing, I have honestly forgotten the rest, I think its a self preservation or something the brain does in post dramatic situations. Think about the exam results after that.

I can go on, just to say that I used to dream of bringing my airgun and shooting him from a far in the face. Many years later I saw him in an Airport transit lounge, my family members stopped me from going forward and making a scene, the feeling must have been like an Auschwitz prisoner seeing one of his tortures in the future.

A History of Violence - Official Trailer

Warning: this is an extremely violent movie, and a great one, if I may say so. Almost every single movie from this director David Cronenberg is really good, cheers

 //www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czqrtq3S8hw

Bless his soul, Hoshang

You had one gutsy dad. Fine example of Ghayrat Kurdi.

How long ago did you hear/ see the movie with Shazdeh's blog title? Wonder if i can find it on netflix?

Oh Shazedh you bring back so many memories

But actually the ending of your story reminded me of my dad, and the  story of him being beaten by a teacher. While he was in 2nd grade ( not sure why)  he was given a very severe punishment. But him being a kurdish child ( a bit spoiled perhaps), he was not to take it and just walk away.

So what does a kid his age does? He knew teacher's route to school and back, and the places he would pass by every day. He (me papa!) finds a spot on his teacher's "intinerary" , some type of an elevated position, probably a wall or something, and waits ( for an ambush) as the teacher was passign by he lets his "liquidity" rip on teacher's face and body, ( talk about a kid being pissed-off). 

Needless to say, after that he was beaten up even more , probably by his father...and eventually sent to Tehran from Kermanshah.

To this day, I think of that "incident" as one of my father's greatest acheivements , bless his soul. 

P.S. There was a great movie with that title, have you seen it? 

sweet memories of sadists

Shazdeh jan, your blog is just precious!

I'm compelled to share with you a few of My childhood memories:

- there was a cold dark zeerzameen in our Zoroastrian elementary school (Guive), any student who didn't behave properly, in or out of classroom, would be sent there to be fed to the monsters. Our Naazem/ vice prinicipal reminded us daily.

- there was khatkesh or penciled fingers for chapdast students. 

- our history teacher (Aghaye Shojayi) in Reza Shah Kabir high school, used to call his exuberant students "kabareyi"... by my mid teens, I was really convinced that as an adult I would end up in Shokoofeh No :o)

- our trigonometry teacher, Aghaye Naraaghi, used to vehemently throw those wooden covered blackboard erasers which ferociously smacked many a faces, only for giggles and chats during his lessons

- in Enghelaab Sefid class, I was threatened to be reported to Savaak for mere chanting a Beatle's song on top of my desk prior to our 7th grade teacher (Khanom Moshiri) entered the classroom

- 4th grade, Kharazmi school/ Payvand, agahye Aalidaayee, our red haired green eyed teacher who was acting as yard duty slapped the cheek of my crush (Babak F), with his big ring turned around his big boney hand, so hard that Babak's mouth was bleeding,... only for noticing Babak ghayghajeeng himself too many times around me on the volleyball court ... Mrs. F. had to pick up Babak for emergency treatment of his beautiful mouth. Needless to say - I was Dying with guilt and hatred.

'later and thanks for your blog.

فرامرز عزیز

It was bad then and unfortunately, it is worse now. I did all my schooling in Shah's time, but from what I hear, it is as bad or worse now.

Thinking back, I agree with you that many of our teachers and principals were simply pathological sadists - women and men alike!

It is so easy to analyze them now with what we know ... they were frustrated and sick souls who would readily unleash their inner pains and sickness on the helpless kids. To this day, I still remember and hate:

- the woman teacher who used to slap us in the face with her long and sharp nails, for bad hand writing

- the guy teacher who enjoyed "double slapping" us (both hands to each side of the face) for low grades

- the principal who used to break pencils in between our fingers for running in the yard

For me, they were no different than the Evin torturers of Shah and Khomeini - they may have actually helped to create many of those monsters!

VPK: only love and respect can break the cycle of violence

By teenage years, I was already drinking and smoking; had been in many fights; broken one kid's head and another's teeth. I hated school and had an intense distrust of all the grown ups. I was on my way to getting expelled from the highschool.

Two kind teachers changed my heart and mind about learning, behaving and studying. God bless their hearts - they did that by simply treating us with kindness and respect. They were bright stars in an otherwise dark night of callous violence.

چوب معلم گله

هر کی نخوره خله

Thank you Shazde for fond memories! In my case, our female teachers used the ruler and the pencil-between-the-fingers technique, while the male ones went directly to slap and kick, Chak o Lagad

When I was in the 2nd grade, we had a nice-looking and well-dressed Nazem who used to flirt with the kids’ eligible aunts or other relatives in the school yard while they were dropping off the kids. On one cold winter morning we were playing soccer with the blue and white plastic ball in the crowded yard. As he was flirting with a young woman I kicked the ball very hard and hit him on the side of the face! His face turned red, but he could not do or say anything while charming the lady! But I knew that I was in for a treat! Later on that day he caught up with me in the yard and told me that I was running around too much and gave me a hard slap

During the lunch break, we were playing Khar-Polis and one of the guys jumped on me real hard and twisted my neck. When I went home that afternoon I told my father that Nazem had slapped me and twisted my neck! The next day my father took me to school early and pulled Nazem to a side and told him that if he touches me one more time he would first kick his ass and then will have him thrown in jail. Nazem stayed out of my hair from then on, but a few days later he said sarcastically in front of my friends, “some people bring their daddies to school to defend them!” as if he and I were of equal age

Shazde

Agreed.

There is absolutely way too much violence in Iran.  This shows in all aspects of life for example:

• The number of executions specially in public.
• Violence in school as being discussed here.
• Assassination of political figures.
• Use of Fatwah to murder anyone

The reasons are obvious. There were a great many acts of violence committed in Iran. Our history is dotted with with Mongols being the most brutal example. Rulers would regularly behead their enemies. Or just someone for offending them.

I think people are sick of it to their heart and do not want more of it. The IRI will go one day. Will the violence remain? We must start somewhere. Are we willing to at least start somewhere:

• Ban executions by law or fatwah; no more killing public or not.
• Stop political assassination; talk instead.

Dear SamSamIIII, what a tragic story

Dear SamSamIIII, your story is so sad. Nothing dramatic like this must have happened on my first day of school since I don't really remember first day of school. I remember the school, the teacher and couple friends and some other memories but not the first day of school.

In my 1st day of school 2 kids fell in the well & died

In my 1st day of School at khajoo gedaa school(khosh + aryana) got my longer than normal hair half shaved by kachal principle, 2 poor kids playing khar police fell into the Faazelab chaah(sewege well) thru the loose masonery cap & died since it took fire dept an hour to get there and my oldest sister forgot to pick me up after school. So badly in need of washroom I walked aimlessly for miles, peed in my pants but finally found our house.Once home my dear mom asked me; "how was your school azizeh joonam" which i replied "well, stupid sister forgot to pick me up, got lost,  peed in my pants, & yes 2 kids fell in the hole & died"...the only good thing about that day was the free banana milk given by the school...& no school councellors those days. Majid knows eventhough he was a few yrs my senior in that school earlier..

Path of Kiaan Resurrection of True Iran Hoisting Drafshe Kaviaan //iranianidentity.blogspot.com //www.youtube.com/user/samsamsia

VPK: you have a good point, but

... as I have tried to announce in the title, the History of Violence started very early in the typical Iranian boys' lives, even if they had a loving and protective family. My real point is that Iran was and still is filled with a huge amount of violence and brutality, which is ingrained within our native culture, for a number of historic reasons.

آناهید خانم

You are right, the treatment of girls was totally different, and a lot more gentle. I can't think of any girl saying that she was corporally punished in school, whereas mistreatment of boys was regular occurance - at least in case of anyone who was not kissing up to the Moalem and the Nazem.

Boobs were such a double edged sword for the young ladies, as it could give them power and influence over the boys, but it could also attract all sorts of pervert behavior towards them.

Dear Farshadjon, Mr. President and Ebi jan

I'm glad that you've enjoyed this blog.

Memory is a bitch, with sweet lips and the risk of gonorrhea!

The real

violence was in high school and did not come from the Nazem; it came from the students. It was unfortunate that there was so much student on student violence. But I was there and I saw it. 

I remember

in elementary school our Modir used to come to class when things got out of hand. He used to ask kids for a "khat kesh" and then use that to hit the offender on the palm. 

After a while kids got wise to it. One time he comes and asks for a ruler and no one has any! Finally this tiny kid comes out with a rubber ruler that was a wobbly as a limp ****! It looked so funny an limp that cracked even the modir up.

Dear shazde, thanks for a great blog

Dear shazde, as girls, we did not have the experience that boys had. However, when in junior high, we had a principal who would tell girls something demeaning about the size of their breats and how they were small like some fruit and girls should not be so full of themselves since their breast were not as big of some other fruit yet. I remember how outrageous her comment sounded even back then to young junior high schoolers. Later when I went to coed high school, I could see that the boys were treated more harshly than girls. Thanks for your story.

shazdeh Jaan

I had a 'lab Shekari"/Harelip/cleft lip Naazem for my first 4 years of school!!!.

Sepaas

Ebi aka Haaji

I had a Nazem with small-pox marked face too

On the first week of my 2nd grade year, at the end of one day while filing in line to go home the kid behind me lifted my brand new yellow Khatkesh with a shiny metal edge which was sticking out of my backpack. As he did that I turned around to grab it out of his hand a push and shove ensued and he was claiming that it was his Khatkesh, at this moment someone grabbed my ear and twisting it so hard, instinctively I turn around and kicked the person in the legs and shouted Pedar-Sag let me go, bad move, as I turned I saw the shadow of our small poxed face Nazem over me........ The next day my father had to go to school with me, I got my beloved shainy yellow Khatkesh back but the Nazem always watched me from the corner of his eyes everytime I crossed path with him that year, he left our school the following year and I couldn't be happier when I heard that news...

Thanks Shazdeh for the excellent read. Happy Thanksgiving!

Pink Floyd - Teacher leave them kids alone

...

Thanks, Shazdeh jan!

Your blog brought back for me lots of good memories from my childhood.

Thank you.