Page 32 - 樂善堂梁銶琚學校（校刊2019）

Secondary Olari Secondary and Upper

Education Secondary School

Marycove School

Olari School is situated in Espoo, 15 km from Helsinki, the capital of Finland, and offers both
secondary (Years 7-9) and upper secondary (Years 10-12) education. 245 students are enrolled in

the secondary school and 365 students in the upper secondary school.

Upper secondary schools in Finland are divided into specialized domains of study, providing
a variety of programmes for students to take during their upper secondary years. It is common
for students to learn three languages (Finnish, Swedish and English) and they must complete a

required number of credits before graduating.

In Upper Secondary School of Olari, 100 students specializing in mathematics and science take

more courses in those fields. Other students have a variety of programmes to choose from. The
class sizes range from 10 to 36, depending on the number of students taking each course.

After finishing their upper secondary school education, students take the matriculation

examination. Depending on the grades they receive in this exam and the choices they have made,
students have the opportunity to continue their studies at universities or polytechnics. Upper
secondary schools are where students first feel the pressure of public examinations.

IT is used extensively as a learning tool at Olari School. Many students take their own laptops
and iPads to the classroom. Upper secondary students are also expected to be more independent
by managing their own learning schedule and free time. While we were visiting, we saw students
having their breaks in different areas of the school, such as staircases, corridors and activity rooms.

As in other Finnish schools, students at Olari receive a free lunch every day. When we visited the
school cafeteria, we found students enjoying their time eating and socializing with their friends.

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