“The number of Matura subjects should be reduced”

Schooling is anything but easy. It can get really complicated if comparable standards are to apply across the country. As with the baccalaureate. The Confederation and the cantons are jointly responsible for this.

The relevant sets of rules – the Federal Council’s Matura Recognition Ordinance (MAV) and the Matura Recognition Regulations (MAR) of the Conference of Education Directors (EDK) – date from 1995 and should therefore be updated. This is with the aim of ensuring the quality of the baccalaureate throughout Switzerland and in the long term. In particular, access to universities and teacher training colleges without having to take an examination should be guaranteed.

What is undisputed and what is criticized

It is undisputed that the Mint subjects (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology) are given slightly more weight. On the other hand, there is talk of the desired expansion of the elective and Matura subjects. Computer science, economics and law are to become basic subjects in all cantons. And there are more options when it comes to the main subject, which every high school student chooses for themselves and also contributes to their Matura grade. Sport, religion, theatre, computer science, geography or history can now also be selected here. For passing the Matura, which is now to be made up of 15 instead of 12 or 13 subjects (including the Matura thesis), this grade would count the same as German, English or mathematics. It is criticized that this increases the number of Matura grades and reduces the importance of the individual subjects.

“I fully support the direction of the further development”

How does Thurgau Education Director Monika Knill see the intended reforms? “I welcome the ongoing efforts to adapt grammar school education to social developments. A lot has changed since the last revision of the MAR/MAV in 1995,” she says. The baccalaureate has two central goals: to ensure the basic knowledge and personal maturity for the ability to study and to prepare for demanding tasks in society. “Both refer to areas of society that are subject to change and development. This is exemplified by the importance of IT skills in numerous areas of life.»

“I fully support the direction of the further development,” says Monika Knill. In particular, she mentions “strengthening the two educational goals of the baccalaureate, strengthening the future viability of baccalaureate education, improving the comparability of the baccalaureate certificates and clarifying the framework conditions for the baccalaureate course”.

Reform takes into account differences in the middle school landscape

The middle school landscape is very different from canton to canton. The reform must take this into account and still realize the central overarching concerns. “This is basically implemented in the drafts submitted,” says Monika Knill. The focus of the forthcoming discussion in the EDK would be the number of basic subjects, the electives and the criteria for exam success. “Although there are good reasons for certain additional basic subjects, it poses a challenge if the number of subjects remains the same,” says the Thurgau Director of Education critically. On the other hand, she very much welcomes the creation of the baccalaureate forum, in particular to ensure the recognition of baccalaureate certificates in terms of content and subject matter.

The template also has its weaknesses

In the eyes of the Thurgau Director of Education, however, no major changes are possible with a reform that largely tries to preserve the existing structures and vested interests of specialist groups. “It can therefore be seen as a weakness that questions that would necessitate such fundamental changes are likely to remain unanswered. This includes the fact that an expansion of the subjects, as is the case with the two new basic subjects of computer science and economics and law, is already threatening to overflow the resources.»

“The canton of Thurgau has issued a differentiated statement on the new draft and takes the view that the number of subjects for the Matura and examination subjects should be reduced and kept compact,” says Monika Knill. She sees a possible solution in partially dissolving the traditional subject boundaries and combining them into new, thematically and didactically stringent combinations – similar to what has already been realized in the combined subject of economics and law. “However, possible combinations and weightings would have to be examined in detail, for example to prevent a general leveling of the grades or an overemphasis on individual subject areas.”

Thurgau high school graduation rate should not be increased

In terms of the high school graduation rate, Thurgau is below the Swiss average of 20 percent. Does the Thurgau Director of Education see a need for action here? “In fact, the canton of Thurgau has a high school graduation rate of 15.7 percent for 2020,” she confirms. And put it into perspective at the same time:

“More important than the number as such is that the young people attend the training for which they have the cognitive potential as well as the interests and inclinations.”

General secondary schools and vocational training paths – which in turn can also be supplemented with a vocational baccalaureate – should therefore be viewed less as competition. “The fact that the right young people attend secondary school in Thurgau is shown by the high success rates of Thurgau secondary school graduates at universities,” says Knill. “Accordingly, in my view, there is no need for action with regard to the baccalaureate rate.”