Lower secondary level: What requirements are set?
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The teachers carry out regular tests in the respective subjects during the school year. Generally, a grade scale of 1 to 6 is used (6 = best grade). The pupils receive reports twice a year in the majority of the cantons. In addition, teachers of individual cantons issue reports with written comments. The reports also contain details concerning the learning, working and social behaviour and sometimes they also incorporate a self evaluation of the pupils. Numerous cantons carry out evaluation projects where the pupils carry out a selection of tasks that cover central fields of the curricula in question. Furthermore, there are evaluation projects where the pupils receive a performance profile on the basis of tests.
Transfer to the next class
The transfer into the next class is determined through the performances of a school year. An adequate overall average grade and an adequate grade in the basic subjects are necessary to be able to be transferred into the next class.
The mobile repetition rate at lower secondary level amounts to 2% in 2003. Therefore, 2% of the pupils attend the same class of a different type of school from the year before. 1.7% of the pupils attend the same class of the same type of school as the year before.
(Data BFS 2003)
Accessibility
In all cantons with several types of schools, it is possible that the pupils can transfer into another type of school to another based on their performance (from the type of school with basic courses to the type of school with expanded courses and vice versa) or they can transfer into another performance level. A transfer from the type of school with basic courses to one with expanded courses may involve the repetition of one school year. Completion of a tenth (voluntary) year enables a status to be achieved that schools with expanded courses aim to reach at the end of the ninth year.
Final exam
Most of the Western Swiss cantons and Ticino conduct a final examination at the end of the lower secondary level. In German-speaking Switzerland final examinations are not widespread. In Switzerland there are no national final examinations with a certificate of graduation for the lower secondary level.
The transfer into the next class is determined through the performances of a school year. An adequate overall average grade and an adequate grade in the basic subjects are necessary to be able to be transferred into the next class.
The mobile repetition rate at lower secondary level amounts to 2% in 2003. Therefore, 2% of the pupils attend the same class of a different type of school from the year before. 1.7% of the pupils attend the same class of the same type of school as the year before.
(Data BFS 2003)
Accessibility
In all cantons with several types of schools, it is possible that the pupils can transfer into another type of school to another based on their performance (from the type of school with basic courses to the type of school with expanded courses and vice versa) or they can transfer into another performance level. A transfer from the type of school with basic courses to one with expanded courses may involve the repetition of one school year. Completion of a tenth (voluntary) year enables a status to be achieved that schools with expanded courses aim to reach at the end of the ninth year.
Final exam
Most of the Western Swiss cantons and Ticino conduct a final examination at the end of the lower secondary level. In German-speaking Switzerland final examinations are not widespread. In Switzerland there are no national final examinations with a certificate of graduation for the lower secondary level.
