Decision of the Cantonal School Commission on the Gymnasium Ordinance

1. Teachers at St. Antonius High School, Appenzell, are both entitled and obliged to engage in professional and didactic-methodological further training.

2. Further training includes

a) personal development through reading and similar activities;

b) attending courses, lectures, seminars, and similar events.

3. Further training is conducted in joint school events and individually.

4. Joint school events should, if possible, be scheduled by the school administration during non-teaching hours.

5. Individual further training events should, if possible, be attended during non-teaching hours.

6. The school administration may require teachers to attend further training events in subject-specific or didactic-methodological areas as a means of quality assurance.

1. Participation in professional development courses is subject to the approval of the school administration.

2. Corresponding applications must be submitted to the school administration as early as possible.

1. Class hours which cannot be conducted by a teacher due to a further education event should, whenever possible, be taken over by another teacher, upon which a schedule exchange should occur.

2. The organizational arrangements are to be made directly by the involved teachers.

3. The agreed arrangement must be communicated to the school administration.

1. The School Shall Bear the Costs

a) the tuition fees;

b) travel expenses as well as board and lodging according to the cantonal rates for teachers.

1. The Educational Semester is a temporary and salaried leave of absence for teachers with extended teaching experience. It aims to intensively enhance personal skills related to professional duties, as well as to provide continued education tailored to the needs of the school.

2. The school administration may set guidelines for the training program.

3. The Educational Semester lasts a maximum of six months and is generally to be taken consecutively.

1. The granting of an educational semester requires a teaching activity amounting to at least 50% of a full-time position for a duration of ten years, with at least five of those years in the canton.

2. The maximum age limit to be eligible for an educational semester is the completion of the 58th year of age.

3. One year before commencing the educational semester, the national education commission must make a principal decision on the requested leave; the specific program must be submitted to the national education commission at least six months before the start of the educational semester. It must include

a) the substitute arrangement;

b) the program;

c) the written statement from the school administration.

4. At the gymnasium, typically only one teacher may take an educational semester per school semester; in the case of multiple applications, seniority usually decides the order.

5. Educational semesters already taken will be credited.

1. The entitlement to wages for the duration of the educational semester is calculated based on the average workload of the last five years.

2. It can only be paid out pro-rata temporis up to

a) Salary for a full workload;

b) Child allowances.

3. The decision regarding the granting of compensation for course costs and expenses is made by the National Education Commission.

4. The educational semester must not lead to additional secondary income.

1. Anyone who resigns within three years after undertaking a paid educational semester is obligated to partially reimburse the incurred costs as follows

a) in the 1st year 100%;

b) in the 2nd year 60%;

c) in the 3rd year 30%.

2. In case of non-fulfillment of the program, these costs must be partially reimbursed according to the decision of the National Education Commission.

1. At the end of the educational semester, a written final report must be submitted to the school administration and presented to the state school commission. It must contain at least the following information

a) Confirmation of the implemented detailed program;

b) Statement on achieving the goals of the educational semester;

c) Expected impacts on one's own teaching practice;

d) Any lessons and consequences for the educational semesters of other teachers.

**1. Students who have completed primary education or the first year of secondary education can continue their education at the lower secondary level at the gymnasium.**

2. For students coming from primary school, the enrollment and admission procedure is fundamentally the same as that for secondary schools.

3. For students coming from the first year of secondary school, an average grade of 5 and the recommendation of the current class teacher are required in accordance with the promotion regulations (Art. 58 para. 1, Decision of the National School Commission on the School Law).

4. For out-of-canton students, a transition procedure adapted to the special circumstances applies. The school administration determines the details.

1. The school administration proposes a member to the state school commission for the admissions committee.

1. An individual who has been admitted to the gymnasium based on the decision of the admissions committee is required to complete a probation period of one semester.

2. An individual who does not meet the requirements stipulated in Art. 36 and Art. 37 of this decision during this semester will, as a rule, be transferred by the admissions committee to the secondary school, with notification to the school administration and the parents, effective the first Monday of the new semester, or released if the obligation to attend school has been fulfilled.

3. The holders of parental custody have the discretion to transfer the child to the secondary school at the time of the autumn holidays.

1. Students from the Canton of Appenzell I. Rh., who are attending at least the 2nd secondary class with good success, can register for the admission process into the 3rd gymnasium class.

2. Students from the Canton of Appenzell A. Rh. are admitted under the contractual provisions agreed upon between the two cantons.

3. For other students, Articles 18 and 19 of this decision apply.

1. The application must include the reports from the last three school semesters and a written statement from the class teacher.

1. The registration must be submitted to the school administration by the beginning of February.

1. The entrance examination includes the subjects German, French, English, Algebra, and Geometry.

2. Students who wish to take Latin as a core subject must take an examination in this subject.

3. The school administration sets the necessary conditions.

1. The Admission Commission Appenzell decides on the admission of students from the Canton of Appenzell I.Rh. who have registered for admission to the 3rd Gymnasium class according to Art. 13 Para. 1.

2. The National School Commission issues directives on the admission criteria.

3. Admission to the 3rd Gymnasium class generally takes place for one year. In case of insufficient academic success, the promotion conference may recommend to the parents that the student be placed in a lower class or transferred to the secondary school at the time of the autumn holidays.

1. Students transferring from a high school with a federally recognized Matura to the Appenzell Gymnasium will be classified definitively or provisionally in accordance with the criteria of the departing school.

1. Students from other schools are required to undergo an aptitude test in the subjects of German, Latin (for admission to the 2nd gymnasium class), French, English, Mathematics, and a main or supplementary subject.

2. In this context, the subject teachers determine whether the student possesses sufficient knowledge to follow the lessons and the corresponding level.

3. Based on the test results and after consulting with the teachers who conducted a test, the school administration decides into which class the student will be placed; the admission is provisional.

4. Non-native speaking students must have sufficient command of the German language to be able to follow the lessons.

5. The school administration can admit a maximum of four guest students per school year, for whom no school fees are charged.

1. Appeals against admission decisions may be submitted in writing to the National School Commission within ten days.

1. An absence is considered to be any lesson or event not attended as defined by Art. 19 para. 1 of the Gymnasium Ordinance (GymV), i.e., all compulsory lessons of mandatory, elective, and optional subjects, all events as part of project days, special weeks, etc., as well as all school events.

1. Excused Absences: Illness and accident are considered excused absences. In cases of doubt, a medical certificate may be required.

1. If a student is absent from school, they must immediately inform the school office.

1. The notification of absence shall be made on the official absence form. Each absence must be recorded on it and confirmed by the holders of parental authority or another authorized person (legal representative, prefect) if the individual is a minor.

2. Absence notifications must be submitted to the relevant subject teachers for countersignature within one week after resuming attendance, without requiring a prompt, otherwise, the absences will be considered unexcused.

3. All absences are recorded on the report card, with the count of absences continuing consecutively for each report period.

1. Tardiness will be sanctioned by the respective subject teachers.

2. Significant or repeated tardiness will be considered an absence and will be treated accordingly.

1. Unexcused absences are subject to disciplinary action by the school administration in accordance with Article 6 in conjunction with Article 21 of the GymV.

2. The subject teacher concerned shall immediately report unexcused absences, along with justification, to the respective class teacher and the school administration.

1. If an absence is foreseeable or planable, the school administration may grant a school exemption upon valid reasons being presented.

2. The respective request for exemption must be submitted in writing, justified, and, in the case of minors, signed by the holders of parental authority or another authorized signatory (legal representative, prefect), and should be submitted to the school administration as early as possible.

3. The written exemption granted must be presented to the affected subject teachers for countersignature without being prompted, prior to the absence.

4. For a long-term school exemption due to health reasons, a medical certificate must additionally be provided.

1. The class teacher monitors the absences and exemptions.

2. Absence notifications and approved school exemptions must be retained by the class teacher for the duration of a semester.

3. The subject teachers are responsible for the recording of excused and unexcused absences as well as school exemptions in the grading system.

4. The class teachers check the entries at the end of each semester.

1. The provisions under the title concerning the promotion of students particularly gifted in sports or music, as set forth in the Regional School Commission’s resolution on the School Act, shall apply accordingly to the partial exemption from classes in favor of students gifted in sports or music at the high school.

2. The responsibilities of the school board are carried out by the administration of the high school.

1. At St. Antonius Gymnasium, Appenzell, weekdays, with the exception of Saturday, are school days.

1. Lessons (37-38 lessons per week) should be distributed as evenly as possible over nine half school days.

2. Wednesday afternoons are generally to be kept free of school.

1. The school year is divided into two approximately equal semesters. At the end of each semester, a report card is issued.

2. The grades have the following meanings

a) 6 very good

b) 5 good

c) 4 sufficient

d) 3 insufficient

e) 2 poor

f) 1 very poor

3. Half grades can also be awarded.

1. Grades in individual subjects are assigned by the responsible teacher based on performance in the relevant semester.

2. The teacher is authorized, in justified cases, to adjust the overall grade derived from individual semester grades beyond the usual level of rounding, either up or down, but only to the extent that the semester grade does not deviate by more than half a point from the grade that would result from usual rounding.

3. If a student is found guilty of dishonesty during an examination or other grade-relevant work, the subject teacher may lower the grade for the corresponding work by up to two points compared to the actual performance achieved. The subject teacher records this in the report card and immediately informs the class teacher. The class teacher then informs the parents and the school administration. Any disciplinary measures remain reserved.

1. Holders of parental custody have the right to review written examinations with the teacher at any time or to request them.

2. The student maintains a grade sheet issued by the school and keeps it up to date. The access by holders of parental custody can be confirmed by signature.

3. The class teacher informs the holders of parental custody in writing at least once per school semester about the student's academic performance. The review must be confirmed by signature. The class teacher requests the confirmation to be returned within one week.

4. In the case of significant changes in performance and behavior, the teacher promptly informs the holders of parental custody and discusses the possible consequences with them.

5. Mature students shall inform the teacher in writing whether the information pursuant to paragraphs 1 to 4 of this article should continue to be provided to the former holders of parental authority or not.

1. Based on the grades of a semester report card, a promotion decision is made in accordance with the provisions of this resolution and the promotion regulations.

2. In decisions of the promotion conference regarding exceptional cases, the rector, the vice-rector, and all teaching staff who have taught the student in question have the right to vote.

1. The graduation statuses are

a) "definitively graduated",

b) "provisionally graduated",

c) "not graduated".

2. The graduation statuses are noted on the certificate.

1. Promotion depends on the grades in the subjects German, French, English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Geography, Visual Arts, Music, Computer Science, Physical Education (1st to 4th grade), Religious Studies/Philosophy of Religion, in the core and supplementary subjects, as well as in Latin (1st and 2nd grade) or in Economics and Law (3rd and 4th grade).

2. If Mathematics is taught in different subjects (Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry), a separate grade is given on the report card for each subject.

3. The subject Physical Education counts towards regular promotion in the 1st to 4th grades, but without double compensation for any negative grades below 4.00. In the 5th and 6th grades, the core subject Physical Education does not receive a promotion-relevant grade; except if it is an ordinary supplementary subject.

1. A definitive promotion according to Article 36 occurs when the double sum of all grade deviations below 4.0 is not greater than the sum of all grade deviations above 4.0, and when no more than four grades are below 4.0.

2. Those who do not meet the requirements for a definitive promotion are provisionally promoted, except in any of the following cases

a) Only one provisional promotion is allowed in three consecutive reports. Those who cannot be definitively promoted a second time within three semesters will generally not be promoted.

b) Only those who are definitively promoted may enter the second semester of the Matura class. Those who do not meet the conditions are considered not promoted.

c) Similarly, those who achieve a grade average below 3.75, where the insufficient grades are counted twice, will not be promoted.

3. Those who are not promoted must repeat the last two semesters or leave the school.

4. Repeat students are considered provisionally promoted in the first semester of their repetition.

1. The Admission Status for New Entrants is governed by the provisions of this resolution concerning admission to the Gymnasium.

1. At St. Antonius Gymnasium in Appenzell, a student may generally repeat a year only once.

2. Anyone who has not passed the Maturity Examination may repeat the last two semesters, notwithstanding the provisions of this decision regarding the promotion regulations.

1. In justified exceptional cases, the doctoral committee may grant a second provisional doctorate within three semesters or allow a second repetition.

2. In justified exceptional cases, the doctoral committee may also refuse a first repetition.

1. Diligence and conduct will be criticized with the remark "unsatisfactory" or "poor" in the respective subjects if necessary.

2. Further criticisms (such as non-compliance with house and school rules, etc.) can be noted as comments on the report card.

3. If three or more criticisms are recorded in a report card, the school administration must issue a reprimand in accordance with Art. 6 in conjunction with Art. 21 GymV.

4. If three or more criticisms are recorded again in the next or subsequent report card, instead of another reprimand, a conditional threat of expulsion from the school must be issued in accordance with Art. 6 in conjunction with Art. 21 GymV.

1. Decisions of the Doctoral Conference in connection with the certificates can be appealed to the State School Commission within ten days of receipt. The State School Commission shall make a new decision on the matter.

1. The State School Commission establishes a cantonal Maturity Commission.

2. The cantonal Maturity Commission consists of at least nine members. The principal is an ex officio member. The other members are elected by the State School Commission, one of whom is a teachers' representative proposed by the Teachers' Conference.

3. The State School Commission appoints the president; otherwise, the commission constitutes itself.

4. The term of office, beginning on August 1st and ending on July 31st, is four years; members may be re-elected.

5. The commission is capable of making decisions as a whole commission when at least five members are present.

6. The State School Commission acts as the Supervisory and Appeals Commission.

1. The Maturity Commission conducts the examinations and determines their results.

2. The President, in agreement with the school administration, sets the examination date and the examination schedule.

3. The Secretary annually reports on their activities to the State School Commission.

1. The Swiss Maturity Commission must be informed in a timely manner about the schedule and examination plan of the maturity examinations.

2. Significant changes in the organization and curriculum of the gymnasium must be reported to the Swiss Maturity Commission.

1. Free Access to Maturity Examinations is Granted to

a) Members of the Cantonal School Commission

b) Members of the Swiss Maturity Commission

c) Teachers of the Gymnasium.

1. The Compensation of the Members of the Maturity Commission is Governed by the Resolution of the Bar Association Commission on the Compensation of Authorities' Members.

1. The matriculation examination is intended to determine whether the candidate has attained university entrance qualification through the processing of secondary school educational material. This requires a secure command of fundamental knowledge, but also demands independent thinking and working, as well as the ability to express oneself accurately and appropriately.

1. The requirements for the individual subjects are included in a training program, which is aligned with the curriculum framework of the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK) and the syllabus of the gymnasium.

2. In the examination, the teaching program of the last two years is to be considered essentially, and equal importance is to be placed on intellectual maturity and independence in thinking as on the extent of acquired knowledge.

1. The candidates are required to independently prepare and present a substantial written or written-commentary project (Matura thesis) individually or in a group during the first semester of the 12th grade.

2. The assessment of the Matura thesis considers both the written and oral performances. After the oral presentation, the supervising subject teacher determines the grade. In case of doubt, a second subject teacher should be consulted.

3. Details are regulated by the school administration.

1. Candidates must submit their application for admission to the examinations to the school administration no later than 30 days before the start of the written examination.

2. The application for admission should provide information on the surname, first name, place of origin (for foreigners: nationality and place of birth), residence, date of birth, previous school attendance including the period during which the candidate attended the St. Antonius Appenzell Gymnasium as a regular student; the specification of the major subject, the supplementary subject, and the elective subject for the matriculation examination, as well as the intended field of professional study.

3. Candidates must pay the examination fee with the application. The fee can be refunded in full or in part to financially disadvantaged individuals upon a justified request to the department.

4. The examination fee is determined by the department.

5. ...

1. The graduation certificate is to be issued for the graduation subjects.

2. The core subjects are considered to be

a) German

b) a second national language

c) a third language (a third national language, English, or an ancient language)

d) Mathematics

e) Biology

f) Chemistry

g) Physics

h) History

i) Geography

j) Visual Arts or Music.

3. The specialized subject may be chosen from

a) Latin

b) Physics and Applications of Mathematics

c) Economics and Law

d) Philosophy/Pedagogy/Psychology.

4. The supplementary subjects may be chosen from those offered by the school in accordance with the decision of the National School Commission.

1. The following subjects will be examined in writing

a) German

b) French

c) Mathematics

d) Core subject

e) A foundational subject not previously examined, taught in the last school year (according to Art. 14 lit e MAR).

2. The following subjects will be examined orally

a) German

b) French

c) Core subject.

1. A maximum of four hours is available for the written examinations.

2. Only one written examination may be administered on the same day.

3. The written examinations are continuously supervised by an instructor.

4. The examiner evaluates the written work and proposes the grades to the Examination Commission.

5. The written work is made available for inspection to all those with access to the examinations.

6. To ensure the equivalence of the examinations among the different examiners, the instructors agree on standardized examinations.

1. No auxiliary materials may be used in the written examinations except for those approved by the subject teachers in agreement with the school administration.

2. The Maturity Commission can disqualify students who use unauthorized aids or have acted dishonestly from the exam, deny them their Maturity Certificate, and stipulate that they may only be admitted to the examination again after one year. In severe cases, the Maturity Commission may order permanent exclusion.

1. The oral examinations are conducted by the subject teacher in the presence of members of the Maturity Commission.

2. Each examination lasts fifteen minutes.

3. After the examination, the attending experts and the subject teacher determine the grading for the oral examination. The subject teacher makes the proposal. In the event of a tie, the chairman has the casting vote.

1. Upon completion of the examinations, the Maturity Commission determines the results.

2. The maturity grades are determined as follows

a) * In subjects where a maturity examination takes place, based equally on the performance in the final year of training, in the form of an annual grade in tenths, and the performance in the maturity examination;

b) * In other subjects, based on the performance in the last year in which the subject was taught, in the form of an annual grade;

c) For the maturity thesis, based on the work process, the written thesis, and the oral presentation.

1. The performance in the matriculation subjects is expressed in whole and half grades. 6.0 is the highest, 1.0 the lowest grade. Grades below 4.0 indicate insufficient performance, threshold values (.25 / .75) are rounded up.

1. The Maturity is considered passed if in the maturity subjects

a) the double sum of all grade deviations below 4.0 is not greater than the sum of all grade deviations above 4.0, and

b) no more than four grades below 4.0 are awarded.

1. A candidate who has not passed the examination according to Art. 59 of this decision shall only be permitted to retake the exam after having repeated the entire final year of instruction.

2. The candidate is exempted from examinations in the subjects where they received a grade of 5.0, 5.5, or 6.0 in the initial examination, provided they have a yearly report card grade of at least 5.0 in those subjects. In such cases, the grades from the first examination will be applied.

3. The full examination fee must be paid for the retake in every case.

1. The Maturity Certificate includes

a) the inscription "Swiss Confederation" with the subtitle: "Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden";

b) the note "Maturity Certificate issued in accordance with the regulations of the Federal Council and the EDK on the recognition of gymnasium maturity certificates dated January 16/February 15, 1995";

c) the name of the school issuing it: "St. Antonius Gymnasium Appenzell";

d) the surname, first name, place of origin (for foreigners: nationality and place of birth), and birth date of the holder;

e) the details of the period during which the holder attended the educational institution as a regular student, including the exact date of entry and exit;

f) * the maturity grades in individual subjects according to Article 52;

g) * the topic and grade of the maturity paper;

h) the signature of the cantonal director of education and the school's rector;

i) school code of the Swiss Higher Education Information System (SHIS).

1. The costs for personal materials such as writing instruments, calculators, etc., and general consumables are to be borne by the students in all classes.

1. From the 4th grade of secondary school onwards, students also bear the cost of all teaching materials.

2. Teaching materials are generally lent out to students in the 1st to 3rd grades.

3. If, upon return of the lent teaching materials, damage is found that suggests careless handling, the cost of the materials will be charged to the culpable students.

1. The gymnasium must obtain the educational materials subject to these provisions from the cantonal educational materials administration.

**1. Pre-existing Examination Grades**

The new law does not apply to graduation grades that were assigned before the enactment of the Regional School Commission's decision on June 15, 2023, regarding the revision of the Regional School Commission's decision on the Gymnasium Ordinance dated November 29, 2006.

1. The Amendment to the State School Commission Resolution of December 19, 2019, regarding the Revision of the State School Commission Resolution of November 29, 2006, applies to students attending the fourth year of grammar school in the 2020/21 school year or later.

2. The previous regulations apply to all other students.

1. This resolution shall come into effect on August 1, 2007.