Otesalu Gymnasium II

**Otesalu Gymnasium II** (Estian: *Otesalu Gümnaasium II*), often shortened to **OGII** or simply **II**, is a public gymnasium in Otesalu, Estland. OGII was first established in 1886, amidst a reorganization of the Estian education system.

At its foundation, the school instructed students in a mathematics and natural sciences program, although following the split of this program into two separate programs in 1899, the school began instructing students in solely the mathematics program. The school became coeducational in 1935, after having been founded as an all-boys school. OGII is largely considered to be one of the most prestigious secondary schools in Estland. It has educated a number of successful figures in Estian politics, business, academia, and foreign affairs.

## Admissions

Recent acceptance rates of Otesalu Gymnasium II
 2019
 2020
 2021

Admissions to the school adhere to the nationwide gymnasium admissions process. The admissions process begins in the second half of a student's final year of primary school. OGII requires that applicants submit their primary school transcript and letters of recommendation from three primary school teachers.

The average overall primary school grade for an incoming *K1* at OGII in 2019 was 8.50/9, making the admissions process highly competitive. OGII is known nationwide for having one of the lowest acceptance rates and most stringent acceptance requirements. Students receive their decision letters in July of the year they graduate primary school, and they must confirm whether they accept or decline their enrollment by the second Monday in August.

In 2016, it was reported that only 23.4% of OGII's student body were female, and since then there have been significant pushes to increase the school's gender diversity. By 2021, the percentage increased to 30.1% of the student body.

## Academics

Otesalu Gymnasium II offers only a program in mathematics. In annual rankings of Estian gymnasiums, OGII is typically ranked as in the Top 5 of the most academically rigorous gymnasiums in the country.

### Scheduling

The school is in session from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm, although most students do not maintain a complete full-day schedule. Most students enroll in eight classes per year and four classes per semester; some students opt to take one class a day for four days a week, while others opt for two classes a day for two days a week, or any other combination of this. Typically, registration for the next semester is done at the halfway point in the preceding semester. More senior students receive preference in scheduling. Students entering their *K1* year register for their first semester two weeks before classes begin, typically in late August.

Each class lasts for three hours with 30 minutes being reserved for a break in the middle. Students may schedule their courses any way they wish, and are responsible for incorporating their own meal breaks.

### Curriculum

In line with national education requirements, students focus the majority of their coursework on courses within their program, while also being allowed to enroll in elective courses. National curriculum requirements require that students take 18 classes within their program in order to graduate, while OGII implements its own curriculum requirements. At the start of their education at the school, all students must complete five introductory courses in mathematics, which are typically completed during a student's first two semesters. After completing these five courses, students may advance to more advanced mathematics courses on a variety of academic paths: mathemathatics and economics, theoretical mathematics, applied mathematics, mathematics and engineering, advanced statistics, advanced calculus, or advanced geometry. All students choose their desired academic path at while registering for their third semester of study, and the remainder of their 18 program courses will be linked with their academic path.

In addition to the 18 courses required to come from within the mathematics program, OGII requires that its students complete at least two courses from outside of the program, with the school offering introductory classes from other programs in addition to classes such as art, music, drama, physical education, and home economics. The school also requires students to take at least two courses in the Ditrovian language, which cannot be used to satisfy the elective courses requirement. Students may also enroll in additional courses which may be completed using electives or mathematics courses.

### Assessments

As the Estian national education curriculum does not mandate nationwide standardized testing, OGII offers its own program of school wide standardized testing. At the end of each semester, students must sit for their final exams in each class that they are enrolled in. Final exams are created by the faculty members of the department, and are uniform regardless of the individual teacher that the student has. Final exams cover the entire semester of content, and significantly factor into the student's final grade for the course.

Apart from final exams, OGII organizes its grading and assessment system in line with the national education standards. Students receive a grade of 0–9 for each of their classes: 0 denotes incomplete work, 1–2 denotes failing to meet expectations, 3–4 denotes meeting expectations, 5–6 denotes exceeding expectations, 7–8 denotes significantly exceeding expectations, and 9 denotes a perfect score. All grades except for a 0 or a 9 may be altered with a minus (–) or plus (+) to further specify where a student falls. If a student receives a grade of 0–2 in a class, they do not receive credit for it. If it is an elective they can retake the class the next year or choose to not receive the credit, but if it is a required class they must retake it during the summer or the following year and receive a grade of 3–9. Unlike in other gymnasiums, OGII administrators may put students on academic probation or expel them from the school if they continuously are failing their courses.