The Gross Enrollment Ratios for females and males in 1990 were 7.6% and 9% respectively which grew to 13.9% and 15.9% in 1998, indicating a higher male to female ratio at pre-primary level, and showing that families had a lower tendency to enroll their daughters at such levels, in comparison with their sons.

Figure No 1: Comparison of gross enrollment ratios of pre- primary education in the period 1990 - 1998

Table 3: The number of pre-primary schools

In the 1990s, the average ratio of children enrolled at the pre-primary level to the number of such schools had a decreasing trend. At this level, the growth in the number of buildings was faster than the growth in the number of enrolled children.

Table 4: The ratio of the number of enrolled pupils to that of pre- primary schools:

Calculating the ratio of the number of children aged 3-5 to the number of pre-primary schools, indicated that in 1998 we needed to establish 43,515 more educational spaces in order to provide coverage for 4,022,798 children at this age. This means that in 1998 the number of pre- primary schools should have been 7 times greater than it was. Naturally, there should also be an increase in the required equipment, facilities, educators and budget, demanding more attention to this section of the education system in the country .

3. The activities effective on the growth and development of pre-primary education in the surveyed decade are as follows:

-Holding short-term pre-service and in- service training courses for educators and providing facilities for further education (up to Associate Degree) for pre-primary educators.

-Providing a typical and standard map for the construction of pre-primary education centers.

-Implementation of children’s health evaluation plan and also a preventive plan for eye laziness among children in pre-primary education centers throughout the country.

-Setting regulations, organizational chart and job description for the employees of pre- primary centers.

-Paying 5 percents extra as a bonus for occupational hazards to educators employed in nurseries or day care centers.

-planning the teaching of the Holy Qur’an in day care centers.

- Implementing the plan of a one-month preparatory courses in bilingual areas of the country.

- Preparing educational content and teaching material for children and educators; special publications for children; scientific, educational and training articles for managers and educators and training and encouraging essays for parents.

- Pre-primary education is not compulsory.

- Studies indicate that one of the most important reasons for the lack of progress in pre-primary education is that the enrollment of children of pre-school age, especially the year before the first grade (5-year-old children) is not compulsory.

- Parents tendency to keep their children at home

-Families where mothers work and have nobody to look after their children at home, show a higher tendency to enroll them in the early childhood development programs including pre- primary education centers. On the other hand, working mothers who have an able family member (for example grandmother) to look after their children, prefer to keep the children at home. This factor stems from the importance that parents give to their children’s growth and care within the family environment, and also the family- oriented belief in the Iranian culture. Parents negative view and lack of confidence in the way their children are looked after in pre-primary education centers, and their unawareness of the effect of such education on children’s success at primary level, also has its own impact on this issue.

- The existence of different custodians in pre- primary education and the lack of uniform and integrated policies and strategies.

- Shortage of educational space, equipment, and special facilities necessary for pre-primary education in accordance with the needs and number of children in this age group.

- Undefined status of pre-primary education in the country’s formal education system which results in it being not free of charge, requiring high tuition fees and other enrollment expenses especially for low-income families.

- Shortage of specialists, experts, managers and educated trainers in the fields specified to education of children and lack of systems and standards to attract and make use of these forces.

- Lack of a special, adequate and independent budget specifically allocated to pre-primary education as an important part of the country’s education system.

- High cost of establishing and managing pre-primary education centers and inability to afford the assigned taxes.

- Dispersion and shortage of necessary studies and researches to provide educational and co-educational resources at this level and the fact that educational content and objectives at this level of education are not proportionate to those of primary level.

- The existence of different age group classifications and definitions at this level due to the lack of a unique custodian.

- Existence of a high number of thinly - populated and remote residential areas and migrant tribes for whom establishment of pre-primary education centers is not economical.

2. 5: Solutions, strategies and suggestions
3. - Making pre-primary education compulsory.

- Allocating adequate budget for the establishment of equipped pre-primary education centers.

- Training and employing manpower and qualified staff who are interested in this field of education, and presenting pre – service and in - service training courses for them.

- Propagating pre- primary education in order to make parents aware of the necessity of this stage of education.

- Assigning a unique custodian for establishment, monitoring, administration and other activities of pre-primary education centers and presenting uniform definitions, policies and strategies.

- Paying more attention to this field by the authorities responsible for the country’s education.

- Providing free nutrition and clothing in order to motivate parents to enroll their children in such schools.

- Paying attention to the cultural, religious and geographical diversities in some provinces.

- Development and expansion of pre-primary education centers in accordance with the required standards and the needs and population of children in different geographical areas of the country.

- Running pre-primary education centers throughout the year.

1. The Apparent Intake Rate during the period 1990-1998 underwent some fluctuations, in a way that from 1990 to 1994 it had a descending and from 1995 to 1998 an ascending trend.

The decrease in the AIR in the period 1990-1994 was 6.8% showing an average annual drop of 1.7%. With a growth of 4.7% during the period 1995-1998, there was an average annual growth of 1.57%.

With an ascending trend, the female NIR in the years under survey (1990-1998) rose from 86.3 % in 1990 to 94.5% in 1998. There was an increase of 8.2% in the period of nine years showing an average annual growth of 1.03%.

The male AIR underwent some fluctuations, in a way that it decreased from 92.4% in 1990 to 91.6% in 1993 and then in the period of 1994-1998 it rose from 91.9% to 96.8%.

2. The reason for the decrease in the total AIR in the period 1990-1994 can be due to the increase in the NIR and enrolment of a larger number of six-year-old children which led to a reduction in the number of 6-10 year- old out-of-school children. In this way the larger the number of enrolled six-year-olds, the smaller the ratio of pupils of age group 6-10 in the number of the previous year’s six-year-old pupils.

This means that the percentage of pupils of age group 7-10 shows a reduction in comparison with that of the previous year.

The reasons for the growth in the total AIR in the period 1995-1998 can be explained as follows:

One of the main policies of the government and the Ministry of Education in the second plan, was increasing the enrolment of children and intake rate of out-of- school ones. In order to achieve this goal, in 1987 the Cabinet apart from the earmarked funds for primary education program, through a ratified law, No H 15817 T/3365 dated 25 May 1987 allocated a separate fund entitled "Note 62" to the Ministry of Education and LMO. Based on this ratified law the project of enrolling out-of-school children was prepared and notified to the provinces where it was to be implemented. The result was a relative increase in the enrolment of out-of-school children particularly in disadvantaged areas which finally led to the increase in the AIR.

In other words, there was 6.3% increase in the NIR of all primary pupils in the nine years under survey. Its average annual growth was 0.79 %.

2.With an ascending trend, the female NIR in the years under survey rose from 83.3 % in 1990 to 94.5% in 1998. In other words there was 8.2% increase in the female intake rate in the nine years under survey. Its average annual growth was 1.03%.

1. With an ascending trend, the male NIR in the period of 1990-1998 rose from 92.4% in 1990 to 93.2 % in 1995 and reached 96.8% in 1998.

In other words there was 4.4 % increase in the nine years under survey. Its average annual rate was 0.55%.

The comparison between female NIR and that of males show that the increase in the female NIR in the years under survey was twice as much as that of males. This indicates that the education system of the country has put a lot of effort into enrolling school-age girls.

1.The reasons for the NIR increase in primary education can be explained as follows:

2. Setting up classes in less populated villages, in which the Ministry of Education has active presence.
3. Making use of local manpower through transfers and giving priority to local people at the time of employment.
4. Recruiting female teachers through admission of local people at the time of employing the graduates of teacher training college in order to enrol more school-age children particularly girls.
5. Gradual segregation of mixed classes in rural areas in order to increase girls’ intake.
6. Cooperation of the LMO with the Ministry of Education in setting up classes for school-age children.
7. Effective publicity campaign by the Friday and mass prayer imams, reliable local people, principals and teachers.
8. Cooperation of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in elucidating the leading role and importance of literacy in individual and social life.
9. Implementing the plan of providing help and free nutrition for children from low income families.
10. Cooperation of UNICEF with the Ministry of Education in implementing a plan entitled "Increasing accessibility of primary education to girls" which to some extent, led to an increase of the female Intake Rate in the areas in which the plan was implemented.
11. Balancing the educational facilities and resources in order to distribute educational opportunities fairly among different provinces of the country

Due to the fact that the population and number of students/ pupils were not available urban or rural area-wise in collected Data, separate analysis of Net and Apparent Intake Rate for rural and urban areas was not possible.

Analysis of Net and AIR in year 1990

Comparing the provincial tables of Apparent Intake Rate with those of the Net Intake Rate indicates that these rates have increased in parallel with each other. For instance, Yazd is one of the provinces where both rates enjoyed a high percentage.

The reason for this is educational facilities including space and manpower are available in this province and all the six-year-old and many of the 6-10 year-old out-of-school children are enrolled every year. The NIR was 100% and the AIR was 117.45%.

The reason for the NIR to be higher than 100% in Yazd province can be explained as follows:

1. Migrant-accepting characteristic of the province, such that after the 1992 census, due to the migration of people from other provinces, the number of six-year-old students grew higher than the number of six-year- old children in the province.
2. Probable inaccuracy of the statistics on population or the incorrect number of pupils reported from the province may have led to the statistics being inaccurate.

1. Low level of income, financial problems of the families and employment of children particularly girls in jobs such as carpet weaving, handicrafts, etc.