Language programme of basic education in the City of Kuopio
A1 language
Pupils start studying an A1 language in grade 1. English is offered as the A1 language in all schools. In addition, Kalevala School also offers German as the A1 language. An A1 German group can be set up if there are at least 16 pupils who have selected this language. Those who have selected German as their A1 language will be offered an opportunity to study English as their A2 language from grade 4 onwards.
A2 language
Pupils can study German, French or Russian as a free-choice A2 language starting in grade 4. For those studying German as their A1 language, the A2 language is English. An A2 group can be set up if there are at least 16 pupils who have selected this language. An A2 group studying English can be set up even if the number of pupils is smaller than this.
Taking an A2 language increases the pupil’s total number of lesson hours in grades 4 to 7 by two. In grades 8 to 9, an A2 language is one of the pupil’s optional subjects, but if the pupil studies a B2 language, the A2 language increases their total number of lesson hours. A B2 language is one of the pupil’s optional subjects and thus included in the pupil’s total number of lesson hours. If the pupil is studying an A2 language, they cannot choose Latin studies starting in grade 7.
In grades 7 to 9, the A1 and A2 language groups of different schools can be amalgamated if necessary. A pupil may have to go to another school to attend classes in their A2 language if instruction cannot be provided in their own school. If there are not enough pupils in the school to make up an A2 language group, the pupils studying the A2 syllabus in a language are amalgamated with the group studying the A1 syllabus of the language in question.
The A2 language selection is permanent, and the pupil studies this language until the final stage of basic education. A pupil cannot drop out of A2 language studies during basic education without a weighty reason. If it turns out at the end of grade 6 that the free-choice A2 language has proven to be overwhelmingly difficult for the pupil, their academic success is poor or studying is otherwise stressful, the pupil can drop the language.
B1 language
A pupil start learning Swedish as a B1 language in grade 6 of comprehensive school.
B2 language
Pupils start studying a B2 language in grade 8. As a B2 language (optional) German, French, Spanish and Russian can be offered according to the school’s language programme, as well as Latin at Hatsala Classical School. Schools may additionally offer short language courses where the syllabus is shorter than the B syllabus. The schools work together to form B2 language groups.
Language programme (in Finnish)