Didn't make it to secondary school - now what?

In the canton of Zurich, around 3700 pupils from the 6th primary class and 2800 from the 2nd secondary class take the grammar school entrance exam every year. That's a total of around 6500 pupils per year. For some, this is probably their second attempt. Around 3300 of them do not pass the entrance exam. There are probably more than 15,000 children and young people in Switzerland each year who do not achieve this goal. In most cases, the failure is associated with a massive disappointment of hopes and expectations. Siblings, parents, other relatives and friends are also affected.
What do the 30,000 or so mothers and fathers affected do in such cases? We don't really know. Many individual cases form a puzzle that could hardly be more heterogeneous: On the one hand, there are parents who are hardly interested or are rather sceptical when children think up their own educational path. Perhaps they belong to a generation where school-leaving certificate rates of 10 per cent were the rule, either because the journey to grammar school was too far or because family traditions did not envisage the grammar school route.
On the other hand, there are parents for whom a world collapses when their child is not accepted into a grammar school. This may be because they went down this route themselves or because it is a matter of course in their family tradition. And there are parents who come from countries where a school-leaving certificate rate of 50 per cent or more is common. For example, over 300 young Germans living in Switzerland attend grammar schools in the German town of Constance near the border.

All paths remain open

Parents are often anxious and worried, and the prevailing idea is that the only educational path to professional success is via grammar school. In the Swiss education system, however, all paths are still open later on. Parents could basically concentrate on supporting their children in finding their personal path, showing interest, helping them through a calm environment and a structured daily routine. They would not have to react with disappointment if their offspring did not want to or could not follow the school path they had envisaged. Too much pressure, excessive expectations, too much pedagogisation combined with too little free time can lead children into conflicts of loyalty. Exploring alternatives at an early age and keeping different paths open is the best way to promote educational progress.

Parents are needed as loyal adults who support their child in every situation to find and realise their goals.

Don't complain, look ahead!

If an examination was not successful, it is only worth looking at the examination results if the results were very close and, if necessary, lodging an appeal, for example if a child did not solve the simple tasks but did fulfil the difficult ones. Another example would be if the content of an essay was good, but was devalued too much due to too many spelling mistakes (by a dyslexic). In most cases, however, it is a matter of accepting the result, coming to terms with the disappointment and focussing on the alternatives that have been prepared. It is of little help to the child if the parents continue to criticise the school system for weeks on end or reproach the child for studying more and gaming less.
Parents are needed as loyal adults who support their child in every situation to find and realise their goals. It is worth showing interest and seeking dialogue without too much pressure. Especially during puberty, young people need the opportunity to determine the distance and closeness to their parents themselves. Children don't just come forward when they need money, but also when they have the impression that adults could give them support here and there. However, we must leave the timing of this up to them.
Parents should clarify in advance what financial support they can and want to give, what they are obliged to do and where they want to set limits. Young people can orientate themselves better if they are given clear instructions. Especially if parents are not yet familiar with career opportunities and the vocational education and training system, it makes sense to inform themselves well and support young people in visiting careers advice centres or looking for taster apprenticeships. The better a young person is networked with as many different colleagues as possible, the easier it will be for them to find their own solutions with the help of their parents and school.