Iran's Education Ministry has published a statement saying it will no longer provide educational services to student in schools and universities who do not follow dress codes, including wearing a head scarf, as the authorities continue to tighten regulations in the face of mass unrest over government instrusions into the daily lives of Iranians.
The ministry added in a statement on April 3 as classes reopened following the Persian New Year that women who fail to comply with the compulsory hijab won't be allowed into class.
The action is in line with "creating a positive and constructive discourse among students on the issue of Islamic culture and beliefs...creating inner vitality and creating a correct and positive attitude and beautiful thinking about the culture of chastity and hijab among students," the statement said.
Acts of civil disobedience such as appearing in public without a head scarf have increased in Iran, where the law requires women and girls over the age of 9 to wear a head covering in public.
In recent weeks, officials have warned women to respect the hijab law and have threatened to punish violators. The authorities have also shut down businesses, restaurants, cafes, and in some cases pharmacies, due to the failure of owners or managers to observe Islamic laws and hijab rules.
Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei warned last month that women who violate the hijab rule will be punished, saying that removing the head scarf shows "enmity toward the establishment and its values."
Since the death in September 2022 of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody after allegedly breaking the hijab law, Iranians have flooded into the streets across the country to protest against a lack of rights, with women and schoolgirls putting up unprecedented shows of support in what is considered as one of the biggest threats to the Islamic government since the 1979 revolution.
In response, the authorities have launched a brutal crackdown on dissent, detaining thousands and handing down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters.