From School to Productive Work Britain and Switzerland Compared

This book provides a 'nuts-and-bolts' comparison with Britain of how that more successful transition is brought about. It explains the different emphases of Swiss secondary schooling: more time on mathematics and, within mathematics, more on arithmetic; in science lessons, less time on pupils' individual experimentation and more on documentation by the teacher of central scientific laws; in lessons on technology and practical subjects, less time on pupils' individual creations and more on class-wide specified tasks - whether in woodwork or domestic science - aimed at high standards of finish. Career guidance at school including periods of work experience with potential employers who provide apprenticeships (in contrast to current British policy, where spells of work experience are deliberately not with potential employers). Apprenticeships are undertaken in Switzerland by three quarters of all school leavers, and are completed with external practical and written tests.