Adult learners: refers to the persons aged over 10 who have lagged behind formal education system and enrolled in adult's courses of Literacy Movement Organization.
Education: learning under formal education programme in Iran or abroad. Thus, learning in non-formal educational sectors (study in private language schools or by private tutor) is not considered as education.
Evening complementary education (for adults): education in this course is similar to general or technical and vocational upper secondary education and lasts 4 years.
Evening general education (for adults): the educational level of this course corresponds with the ordinary lower secondary course and lasts 3 years.
Higher education institute: an organization which provides undergraduate and postgraduate courses and awards certificates /diplomas to the graduates.
Learner completing the course: refers to the learner who successfully passed the final exams of the course.
Learners covered by literacy Movement Organization: refers to an illiterate and low-literate person aged over 10 who cannot study in formal education system and enrolls in courses of Literacy Movement Organization.
Literacy movement complementary course: refers to the second literacy educational course during which the learners with preliminary course certificate or its equivalent will acquire essential skills and learn how to interact with others through reading and writing words and sentences or Persian simple texts, reading holy Quran, learning mathematics and increasing general knowledge.
Literacy movement fifth grade: refers to the fourth literacy educational course during which the learners with final educational certificate or its equivalent as the fifth grade pupils at ordinary primary school will acquire essential skills and knowledge based on formulated curriculum and then enter the higher educational grade after completing the course.
Literacy movement final course: refers to the third literacy educational course during which the learners with educational degree or its equivalent will continue their studies, enhance their knowledge, strengthen previously learned lessons and develop essential skills to enter the fifth grade.
Lower secondary education: a three-year course during which students are instructed in different courses in addition to prerequisite courses of the upper secondary education. According to the three-year average grade of some specific courses, the student is admitted to one of the two educational courses of "technical and vocational and /or services" and "theoretical education" and will receive a letter of introduction to enroll in one of the educational courses in which he/she is qualified. After passing the three-year course, the student will receive the lower secondary certificate.
Pre-university education: a one-year course after completing the upper secondary course during which students may study in one of the three fields of mathematical sciences, empirical sciences or humanities and then take part in the universities entrance exam.
Primary education: first education period this begins at the age of 6. Students that pass the 5- year primary education will receive a certificate and may enroll in lower secondary schools.
School-age learners: refers to persons between 7 and 18 years who could not attend the ordinary primary school due to lack of these schools in rural areas or lack of suitable age condition required for such schools. They are taught by the Literacy Movement Organization trainers. The education system for the school-age learners of the Literacy Movement Organization is similar to the primary courses of formal education of the country, including 5 grades.
Special education: education for children and teenagers who are unruly, physically or mentally retarded, and /or suffer from learning disabilities and illness. It encompasses pre-school, primary, lower secondary, upper secondary and technical and vocational training courses.
Teacher training education: the holders of the upper secondary diploma are eligible for entering this two-year education, at the end of which they obtain an associate degree.
Teaching and clerical staff of teaching units (Education): teaching staff comprise teachers, principal teachers, and physical educators, and clerical staff consist of lab and workshop instructors, health workers, extracurricular master, principal, assistant superintendent, librarian, office staff and bookkeeper.
Technical and Vocational Training Organization Trainees: individuals who attend the training centres of the organization for a certain period to acquire a particular vocation, retraining or upgrading skill.
Technical and Vocational Training Permanent Centres: government places consisting of at least five training workshops with a legal identity and an organizational chart approved by Vice Presidency and Strategic Supervision (former Management and Planning Organization).
University: an institute of higher education, comprising three faculties at least, or two faculties and two schools. Postgraduate courses are distinctive feature of the universities in comparison with other higher education institutes. Universities, considering type and fields of study, are divided into three groups: comprehensive, specialized and scientific-applied.
Upper secondary education (new system): established in academic year 1371-72, the new system gradually replaced the old one. At present, all the upper secondary students are attending the new system. Therefore, this chapter lacks information for the old system students. The new system lasts three years whose first year (first and second term) is general for all fields of study. In the second year, the students are divided into one of the fields of theoretical (mathematics and physics, empirical sciences, and humanities), technical and vocational, and work and knowledge courses. The students, after passing the final two-year period, will receive the upper secondary school diploma.
Upper secondary education (old system): this is a four-year course. Its first year is general and in the second year the students, based on the results of their exams, continue their education in one of the fields of theoretical (humanities, mathematics and physics, and experimental sciences), technical and vocational, or work and knowledge. Students who pass the final exams receive the upper secondary school diploma.