Comprehensive school (upper level)

Basic facts

Upper comprehensive school starts at the age of 13 and lasts for three years.

In finnish upper comprehensive school, the school lunch, studying equipment and the teaching itself are all free to pupils.

There are classes of 20 to 30 pupils which share the same lessons. All classes have their own homeroom teacher.

Subjects The timetables are made by school secretary. Most of the school subjects are

mandatory but pupils can pick three optional subjects at the start of eighth grade.

Optional subjects: - Music- Art- Home economy- Extra mathematics- Extra English- Extra Swedish- Extra Physical Education- Drama- Foreign languages (including Spanish!)- Handcrafts- Information Techonology

Attitudes

Studying motivation in upper comprehensive schools is usually low compared to high schools.

To put it bluntly, many pupils behave like if they were still in kindergarden. The school sometimes seems more like a zoo than a real school.