IRNA (23 September 2009) - Later, Rahimi addressed the students, teachers and staff of ‘Etrat’ school on the occasion.

During the previous years, the Iranian president usually started the school years by ringing the bell of a school in Tehran, but since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is currently in New York to attend the 64th meeting of the UN General Assembly, the first VP is doing the job.

Rahimi was accompanied by Health Minister Ms Marziyeh Dastjerdi and a number of other dignitaries.

Meanwhile, President Ahmadinejad’s message on the occasion of start of the new school year in Iran was broadcast from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Broadcasting (IRIB) throughout the country this morning.

Delivering a speech, the health minister called on students to observe preventive measures to reduce the impact of the H1N1 influenza pandemic.