Sampad Schools, founded by Dr. Iraj Broumand in 1976, started its work in Tehran with the aim of progress and development of the country. Now, under the name of National Organization for Exceptional Talents (Sampad), it is active in approximately 700 centers and has nearly 150,000 students in different levels of education throughout Iran.

In the shadow of half a century of effort and sincere struggles, the Sempad family has achieved remarkable successes not only within the country, but also on a global level. Countless scientists, including Maryam Mirzakhani (who is a prominent role model for Iranian women in the scientific and intellectual world), have been inspired by this family’s achievements.

Some opinions about Sempad are:

Some believe that Sampad is not just a name, but a “border”, an “identity” and an “ecosystem”; a border between “intelligence” and “mediocrity”, and an identity with a “specific name” and “logo”, a title that somehow suggests being “different” and “distinct”. According to many graduates, they carry this title with them as a brand for years to come and try to be among their own groups and find people similar to themselves. Some individuals who have not achieved the necessary success in these schools or have not been successful in the competition of their student life have been affected by a sense of inferiority, despair and hopelessness.

The first step to entering this exam system is the entrance exam. In recent years, some parents, by imposing expenses, not only do not consider the different aspects of intelligence, talent, and interests of their children in the competitive and eye-catching pursuit of superiority, but also put their children’s childhood joy and happiness at risk. Unfortunately, this exam does not measure different aspects of intelligence, such as verbal and artistic intelligence. For some people, failure in this exam causes feelings of failure and incompetence, which is very damaging. Also, after being accepted, the fear of rejection or not being superior always threatens the safety and well-being of some students.

Some people believe that intense competition in Sampad schools limits unity and cooperation among students, and sometimes losing half a point can switch the rankings of dozens of people. The consequence of this is a feeling of inefficiency and individuals even think that they are not the “top student” because of just half a point, and the unpleasant feeling of being the “second or third” always torments them. In fact, it should be reminded that the feeling of perfectionism prevents one from enjoying their successes, and individuals are always waiting for something special and unique, and do not truly appreciate any stage.

One of the expectations from SAMPAD students is excelling in Olympiads and university entrance exams, and the potential consequences of such expectations – which put a heavy responsibility on SAMPAD students – are not hidden. It is interesting to know that in developed countries, their Olympiad news is not as bold as ours. In fact, in developed countries, more attention is paid to the practical aspect of these achievements in the country’s development, and Olympiads are not at the top of the news.

The main question is what is the benefit of participating in Olympiads and similar competitions for the country? Has participating in Olympiads had any other benefits in recent years besides immigration? Is the presence of elites in various social arenas noticeable?

It is essential to mention that the success of a few hardworking elites in Olympiads and winning world medals is not only a cover for the inefficiencies and shortcomings of our educational system, but also the absence of these elites in taking on specialized and national responsibilities, as well as uncontrolled emigrations, strongly emphasizes the inefficiency and lack of meritocracy.

Some believe that educational content in schools is very bulky and often repetitive and useless in the first and second grades of high school.

One of the positive aspects of this space is the diversity in various aspects, including the presence of students from different economic and cultural backgrounds in these schools and equal facilities. This provides an opportunity for underprivileged students (who, due to lack of resources and facilities in their own government schools, are deprived of these opportunities) to benefit fairly from the facilities of SAMPAD schools. Additionally, the presence of specialized teachers in different fields conveys the message of diversity in academic fields and success in various fields.

Some simple suggestions

Attending top schools is not necessarily the key to our children’s success. Therefore, it is the responsibility of parents to pay attention to their talents and interests when registering for entrance exams to these schools.

Content planners of these schools need to consider diversity, quality, quantity, and other needs of students, including emotional and physical needs.

In order to overcome numerous problems, achieving educational justice and allocating sufficient resources equally in public schools, and employing experts in leadership positions and major national decisions have a significant impact.

Footnote:

This text is written on the occasion of Sempad Day (14th of Ordibehesht) and the purpose of writing it is simply to convey the experiences and opinions of some Sempad graduates and families, without judgment, generalization, or imposition.