Modern education in Qajar-era Iran (1801–1925 CE) began with the establishment of European-style schools, marking one of the most significant symbols of modernization in Iran’s contemporary history. Following half a century of activity by French and American missionary religious schools, Dar ul-Funun was founded in 1851 CE (1230 SH) by Amir Kabir as the first state-sponsored school. During the reign of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah and under the patronage of Mirza Ali Khan Amin al-Dawla, a cultural movement led by Mirza Hassan Roshdieh emerged, leading to the establishment of dozens of public and national schools in Tehran and major cities. While these schools played a pivotal role in improving public literacy, their educational structure and content faced profound challenges. Employing a descriptive-analytical methodology and drawing on sources such as personal memoirs, historical documents, Qajar-era publications, and scholarly research, this study investigates these inefficiencies. Findings reveal that the primary obstacles to institutional efficacy included the absence of centralized oversight, non-enforcement of ratified laws, neglect of primary education, insufficient allocated budgets, appointment of administrators based on personal connections rather than merit, persistence of traditional punitive and evaluative methods, hiring of unqualified teachers, and reliance on heterogeneous curricular materials. Additionally, the incomplete imitation of European educational systems and resistance to foundational reforms created a deep gap between the ideals of reformers and the realities of implementation. By critiquing earlier descriptive approaches, this article focuses on analyzing the roots of inefficiency and demonstrates how the conflict between tradition and modernity hindered sustainable educational transformation during