May 9th was the birthday of a teacher who founded new methods of education by applying literature and arts in learning, namely for children who were deprived of minimum means of subsistence. Born 125 years ago he bravely paved the way for educating the deaf and became the founder of education for the deaf in Iran.
Jabar Asgarzadeh (Baghcheban) was born in Yerevan and came to Ira in 1919 along with groups of war refugees through Jolfa, Azarbaijan.. He spent 47 years of his life in Iranian towns and cities like Marand, Tabriz, Shiraz and Tehran and dedicated his love and work to Iranian children and young adults.
Jabar Asgarzadeh or Jabar Baghcheban established schools, kindergartens, cultural organizations and societies like Children's Garden; Tabriz Theater Society; Teachers Alliance Society; Society for Protection of Deaf and Mute Children; Special Education Center for Deaf and Mute; Center for deaf and mute. He also arranged a one year training program for teachers of deaf and mute, established the Salam Society and promoted sponsors to contribute to the educational activities.
Baghcheban was also the founder and editor of the educational journal of "Zaban"as well as a journal for children called "Spring of Children". Among his work he also invented the silent telephone to transfer sound to center of hearing through the teeth and a visual calendar to teach the changes in the length of the day. Both inventions are registered under his name.
Some of his published works are as follows: Constitution of the Society for Protection of Deaf and Mute Children; Constitution for the elementary school of deaf and mute in Tehran; Guidelines for teaching the alphabet; Arkak Khaleh Ghizy Ba khod Golsanam Khala oghli; Baba Barfi; Badkonak; I have dreams in this world, Brides of the mountain, Alphabet; Pearl tree; Old man and the turnip; The wolf and the shepherd; Alphabet of the soldiers; Self instruction alphabet for the elderly; Science of education; Arguments between two fairies; Life of children: a study of kindergartens and elementary school age children.
On the occasion of the birthday of this exceptional human being, the Institute for Research on the History of Children's Literature is happy to announce that in near future, through the publishers of the Institute, notes from Jabar Baghcheban and his loving wife Safieh Mirbabaie will be published titled " Illuminator of the Darkness"