Iran's record in education since the 1979 revolution is good. School is free, and for gifted students, higher education is as well. The teacher to pupil ratio is reasonable; discipline throughout the single sex system is strong, and academic standards are high. 

However, the government does not only want to educate: it wants to mold the minds of the young. 

So education is very Islamic: a generous amount of the timetable is given to Islamic studies; all the textbooks and teachers are vetted for religious orthodoxy; and failure in the Islamic examinations can seriously impede a student's career. 

Despite this indoctrination, it is clear from numerous internet blogs that not all minds have been molded: many question the Islamic creed. Moreover, it is known that some teachers across various cities have become Christians and they want to be a witness in their schools.