Comparison of Educational Insurance Contracts in Legal System of England and Iran

Abstract

In many countries pupils and staff of schools are at risk from a variety of accidents. Contract of educational insurance is one of the ways to compensate for school accidents. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to compare educational insurance contracts in legal system of England and Iran. The study was a comparatively qualitative research with non-emergent design. Method of data collection was documentary and data analyzed in accordance with the rule of "maximum variety” and principle of saturation. Findings showed that there is a similarity between both insurance systems of England and Iran in terms of following business principles (based on increasing profits and reducing losses) in estimating the damage caused by school accidents. The findings also reveal that in Iran, there is a monopoly on concluding a contract with an insurance company with a lack of diversity in the provision of services. In England, insurance companies are competitively seeking to extend their insurance contracts with schools. The research findings also highlighted the difference between the Iran insurance system and England in the following cases: Policy of maximum support for the injured person, efforts to reduce the costs of insurance company, legal system intervention policy (presence of lawyers) to protect the injured person and a "No Win - No Fee" support policy for the benefit of students and school staff. Based on these findings, it is suggested to policy makers in the Iran education system that the monopoly of concluding a contract with only one insurance company should be canceled and competitive insurance policies be applied in favor of injured students/staff and schools.

Keywords

• benefit
• insured
• insurer
• legal system
• insurance
• school accidents