Talented students continue to receive special education after passing the entrance exam to the designated schools under the National Organization for Development of Exceptional Talents (NODET).
NODET schools are specifically for the development of exceptionally talented students in Iran. In Tehran, 41 schools provide education for exceptionally talented students, said Esfandiar Chaharband, deputy at the ministry of education, ISNA reports.
Admission to the schools is selective and based on a comprehensive nationwide entrance examination. NODET was first established in 1976 and re-established in 1987.
In the general division of state-run and private schools, some of the state-run schools accept students whose abilities and talents are above average, yet do not qualify under the NODET system. There are girls and boys schools in each district in Tehran Province.
Every year, thousands of students apply to NODET schools, among whom less than 5% are chosen for the 99 middle schools and 98 high-schools across the country. All applicants must have a minimum GPA of 19 (out of 20) for attending the entrance exam.
The admission process is more competitive in big cities like Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad and Karaj in which less than 150 students are accepted after two exams and interviews, out of over 50,000 applicants.
Top Schools
Top schools of NODET (and also Iran’s top) are Allameh Helli High School and Shahid Madani High School (in Tabriz), Farzanegan High School (Tehran), Shahid Ejei High School (Isfahan), Shahid Hashemi Nejad High School (Mashhad) and Shahid Soltani School (Karaj).
Courses taught in NODET schools are college-level in fields such as biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics and English language. The best teachers are chosen to teach at NODET schools. Schools mainly have only two majors (normal schools have three majors), math-physics and experimental sciences (with biology as the main course). Even though social sciences are taught, there is much less emphasis on these subjects due to the lack of interest in both students and the organization.
NODET students are successful in scientific Olympiads, garnering almost all places in the national Olympiads. They are also top performers in many international Olympiads.
Statistics show that NODET alumni usually pursue higher education until postgraduate level.
Some NODET alumni are world class researchers in science, engineering, and medicine.
