Exchange in bilingual educational programmes – which paths lead to the goal?

Finishing the upper secondary level with the additional qualification “bilingual” becomes ever more popular: in 2019, 154 of 166 Swiss baccalaureate schools (Gymnasium) were offering a bilingual qualification, which accounts for 17% of the total diploma qualifications. There is also a growing demand for bilingual models at upper-secondary specialised schools (FMS).

But how is bilingual teaching conducted? How are the criteria for bilingual school-leaving certificates, as defined by the Swiss Matura Commission (SMC) and the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK) respecitvely, being implemented in the schools? How are exchange projects integrated into the bilingual track, and what is their additional value?

The symposium will present inputs from experts and open up the dialogue between players at upper secondary level. It is aimed at headteachers and teachers at baccalaureate schools and specialised secondary schools with bilingual programmes and at other interested parties in the secondary school sector.

Programme content:

• Inventory of bilingual teaching, Professor Daniel Elmiger (University of Geneva)
• Bilingualer Unterricht an Mittelschulen: de la théorie à la pratique, Dr Claudine Brohy (University of Fribourg)
• Workshops on topics which are proposed by the participants
• Panel debate with representatives from the worlds of politics and education

When: 31 March 2021 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Online

Symposium fee: The digital meeting is free of charge.