Switzerland Secondary I Biology

Lower secondary education (Sekundarstufe I) in Switzerland follows primary school and lasts for three years. In the canton of Ticino, lower secondary level (Scuola media) lasts four years. Students typically enter lower secondary education around age 12. Placement into different performance levels is determined by primary school performance, teacher recommendations, parental input, and sometimes entrance exams. The transition process varies by canton and model.

Sekundarstufe I focuses on developing young people's personalities and encouraging lifelong learning. It promotes self-responsibility, initiative, problem-solving, conflict management, and individual and collaborative work. It also prepares students for upper secondary education (Sekundarstufe II).

Cantons are responsible for developing curricula, defining the number of lessons per subject, and selecting learning materials. According to the Intercantonal Agreement on the Harmonization of Compulsory Schooling (HarmoS Concordat), language-specific curricula are used: Lehrplan 21 in German-speaking Switzerland, Plan d'études romand (PER) in French-speaking Switzerland, and Piano di studio in the canton of Ticino.

The following subjects are taught in Sekundarstufe I:

• Languages: Language of schooling, foreign languages (a second national language and English, and optionally a third national language)
• Mathematics
• Natural Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Physics
• Social Sciences and Humanities: Geography, History, Civics, etc.
• Music, Art and Design: Music, Visual Arts, Textile and Technical Design
• Movement and Health: Exercise and Sport
• Home Economics
• Career Guidance and Preparation

Additional areas, taught as specific subjects or across subjects, include: the use of new information and communication technologies, education for sustainable development, health promotion, sex education, intercultural education, media education, ethics, and religions.

Students typically receive report cards with grades twice a year. The grading scale ranges from 1 to 6 (6 being the best, 4 being sufficient, and below 4 insufficient). In addition to report cards, there are usually assessment meetings with students and parents. Learning, social, and work behavior can also be part of the assessment. Written learning reports are rare. Progression to the next grade requires a sufficient overall grade average and usually sufficient grades in core subjects. If a report card is insufficient, provisional promotion is usually granted. If the next report card is also insufficient, the student does not progress to the next grade and may repeat the year or continue in a lower level. Special support measures can be arranged.

Several cantons conduct mandatory or optional end-of-year exams, orientation and comparison tests, or class-based performance measurements. These can be used for student assessment and allow teachers to evaluate class performance compared to other classes.

There is no nationwide final exam for compulsory schooling and therefore no corresponding diploma. A few cantons conduct final exams in the main subjects at the end of Sekundarstufe I, either in individual or all levels. To optimize the transition to Sekundarstufe II, some cantons have introduced a certificate of completion for compulsory schooling.

In some cantons, adults who have not completed Sekundarstufe I can obtain a cantonal Sekundarstufe I qualification.

The transition from Sekundarstufe I to Sekundarstufe II can be challenging for some students. To prepare them, several cantons are redesigning the final years of Sekundarstufe I and have launched projects or taken measures with other partners to optimize the transition (e.g., Case Management Vocational Training). Bridge programs are available as transitional solutions for young people who do not directly enter vocational training or a secondary II school after completing Sekundarstufe I.