SEVERE SHORTAGE OF SCHOOLS IN WEST AZERBAIJAN

The director general of education for West Azerbaijan Province announced that the region faces a shortage of about 8,000 classrooms, with 260 portable “container” schools currently operating across the province. He noted that this shortage puts particular strain on students in rural and disadvantaged areas.

Despite these gaps, officials say several construction projects are underway to help ease the problem. Around 1,700 new classrooms are under construction and scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, and plans are in motion to gradually phase out container schools.

West Azerbaijan has more than 700,000 students enrolled in over 5,000 schools. Education experts warn that while the new building projects will address part of the demand, the continued growth in student numbers means the gap between actual needs and available facilities will likely remain significant.