Kauriala lukio

Kaurialan Lukio

1st day - Visit of Principal of Kaurialan Lukio to HAMK           03.03.14

It is the biggest upper secondary school in Hameenlinna area.
 Number of students: 570
 Teachers: 32

Grade                 Number of students
1                               <25
2-6                           < 30
7-9                           < 24
10-12                       > 40

Comprehensive school is given for comparison.

As far as primary and comprehensive schools are conpulsory they are funded better than Lukios where students can choose to study or not. Principal has to manage and win different work, projects to  get money from Government. They always have 2-3 ICT projects in collaboration with city schools, are schools or alone. Also schools are funded depending on number of students.

2013     6126 E per student
2014     5870 E
2015     5620 E

These numbers are low as he said. The schools need more for student exchange, etc.

Teachers' cooperation time is 2-5 hours a week. Max 95 hours a year. They include:
- Teachers' meetings
- Team meetings
- Parents' evenings
- Planning different projects
- Planning the school together

Teacher can take sick leave 2 weeks of which are fully paid but more time needs other account.
These days approx 3.2 days a year teachers take sick leave.

Projects:

• Maths camp
• Adventure track
• Comenius - staff training
• Space weather
• International club
• Movie club
• The stories of the cards
• Music cafe
• Classical geometry in classical ballet

Assessment

Grading scale is 4-10

Today, 04.0314, we visited Kaurialan Lukio. 

The school is big, clean, beautiful. 

About Matriculation exam

Purpose: it measures maturity and knowledge

Students take School Certificate then Matriculation exam Certificate and only after it they have right to try take entrance exams of university.

General Battery of tests is divided into 2 groups, days. Subjects of each group are taken at one time. So if a student wants to take 2 subjects of 1 group he or she has to take them in different periods. For ex., you may take chemistry in spring and social studies in autumn.
Day 1 subjects:
Chemistry, Geography, Social Studies, Health Education, Religion or Ethics

Day 2 subjects:
Physics, Biology, History, Psychology, Phylosophy.

Failed exam can be retaken during next 2 periods, if a students fails again he or she has to take all the subjects again during 20 years of period.

Checking:
1- Subject teacher (then during 1 week the work must be sent to Exam Board)
2- Exam Board in Helsinki

The mark of the Board is more important.

Now exams are paper based but since 2016 it will be electronic step by step (first subjects: geography, phylosophy, German. Maths will be electronic in 2019)

About courses

There are 500 courses at this school.
1 lesson = 75 minutes
Schoolyear is 190 schooldays, i.e. 38 weeks. (In Kazakhstan 34 weeks)

Students choose courses, make up their own schedule according to the schedule of courses which has been done by principal. They don't know who will teach them. Teachers' names are not given in the schedule.
Students choose courses for 6-7 weeks, then testweek. After it they take other courses for 6-7 weeks and againg testweek, and so on.

One teacher can teach max 5 courses in 1 period. There teachers teach 2-3 subjects. For ex., one teacher teaches chemistrty and physics, or maths and physics.

For example, in chemistry: 1 compulsory course for everyone, 4 voluntary courses (if a student wants, needs) and 3 extra courses  (if a student wants, needs). These courses can be divided by the student to different years. For ex, 2 courses of chemistry can take during the 1st year, 2 courses next year.

The school has only electronic register, no paper based. Each teacher has own paper (register) where they put marks, make some notes. No checking. Teachers' don't have lesson plans.

Student Council

It consists of 2 teacher and some students. 
Student council members:

• attend teachers' meetings
• meet with the principal once a month
• evaluate the goals of the year
• take part in recruiting interviews
• decide on food
• can write complains with their names on.