Al-Monitor | Maysam Bizaer: In response to Iran’s coronavirus outbreak in late February, one of the government’s first actions was to close schools and universities on March 5, leaving the education of millions of students in limbo. The prolonged shutdown has led to major challenges for students, parents and teachers.

Mahta is a fifth-grade student in Tehran who is trying to continue her education despite the challenges brought by the pandemic. “I’ve missed my school and my friends. Studying in school with my friends and along with my teacher was much better than studying online,” the 11-year-old told Al-Monitor.

With many instructors using popular messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram to communicate with their students, Mahta explained her experience with the methodology, which is new to millions of Iranian students.

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