[80449] Widespread student protest in Iran against changes to university admission system

Wave of student protest in Iran against university admission policy

On Tuesday, June 2, 2026, hundreds of high school students and 11th-grade students across Iran launched a widespread protest against the new policy of the Ministry of Education and the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution. The protesters gathered in front of the Ministry of Education and Council buildings in Tehran, as well as in the city of Hamadan, to protest the decisive influence of grade point averages in final exams on their chances of admission to the university entrance exam (Konkur).

According to reports from Iran International, a media outlet affiliated with the Iranian opposition abroad, the protesters chanted sharp slogans against the decision, including "Student, shout and demand your rights" and "The student will die and will not accept humiliation." In footage that reached the network, the students were seen sitting on the ground in front of government institutions, and there were even clashes with security forces when they tried to arrest one of the protesters, which led to calls of "release him" from his peers.

In other local Telegram channels, such as اخبار اعتراضات ایران-اصفهان, it was reported that the students are protesting against a sense of oppression and discrimination in the new testing system. Among other things, claims were made that decisions are being made without regard for the economic and social reality of the students. The channel خبرفوری | اخبارجنگ فوری آمریکا noted that the protesters are demanding at least the cancellation of the absolute influence of the school grade on the Konkur results, while raising questions about the quality of learning in current conditions.

The protest reflects the growing tension between the young generation in Iran and the educational establishment, with students declaring that they will not stop protesting until their rights are recognized. Social networks documented similar demonstrations in Hamadan as well, where students called for equality and justice in the distribution of academic opportunities.