16/06/2022
If you ask me what is the most horrible experience I've had working as a tour guide in the Botanical Garden of Iran, I would tell you what happened today immediately.
A group of 30 students of perhaps first to third grade elementary school visited our Garden. While the teachers were up to the routines entering the Garden, the children were sitting in a row on the stair right at the entrance gate of the visitor's office. They seemed so innocent and quite gentle but a bit strange at this age. I thought it must be a good time to inform them about what they are going to see, so I handed them the direction map we usually give the visitors. And told them, "While waiting, try to take your time and talk to each other about where and what you want to see." Right there I was interrupted by one of the teachers who told me with a disapproving tone, "Don't do this, then now they will start to ask to see it all". Now I can tell the quietness wasn't etiquette but suppression and this is undoubtedly, educating procedures of despotism and censorship.
