An Iranian schoolteacher has come up with a novel way of encouraging young children to learn their daily prayers.

27-year-old Akbar Rezaie, who teaches the Quran at the Alborz elementary school in Varamin, near Tehran, took a robotics course and applied his knowledge to help modify an educational robot kit.

He says the aim is to provide pupils with a stimulating visual example of a variety of Shi’ite worship.

“I used to pray hastily but now I want to pray more slowly like this robot,” said one student.

Now, pupils in this school and many others may soon have a new teaching assistant, along with the more conventional methods of teaching religious education.