Liechtensteinisches Gymnasium

The Liechtensteinisches Gymnasium is a secondary school in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. It began in 1937 as the Collegium Marianum, started by the Maristen-Schulbrüder as an independent school. Since 1981, it has been a public school managed by the state of Liechtenstein.

The school has grown over the years, especially after admitting girls in the mid-1960s. Today, it has more than 700 students. It offers a strong education for young people in the country.

Unterstufe

The Unterstufe, or lower grades, of the Liechtensteinisches Gymnasium includes three grades: US1, US2, and US3. Students can join the school from the Realschule in different ways, depending on which grade they are in at the Realschule.

In US1, all students learn the same subjects, such as Religious Education, Geography, History, German, Science, Informatics, Technics, Needlework, Art, Music, Physical Education, and Mathematics. In US2, students begin learning English, Latin, and French. Each week, there is also one special class lesson called Lebenskunde. Students cannot skip any of these main subjects, but they can choose to study extra ones if they want.

Oberstufe

The Oberstufe, or upper grades, of the Liechtensteinisches Gymnasium includes four grades: OS1, OS2, OS3, and OS4. Students must choose one of five education tracks to focus on during their studies.

The available tracks are:

• Lingua (Latin and Italian)
• Modern languages (Spanish, Italian or Latin)
• Art, Music, and Pedagogy (art, music and pedagogy)
• Economics and Law (business administration, law, and accounting in OS1 and OS2, and economics in OS3 and OS4)
• Mathematics and Science (computer science; mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry and geography with more lessons than usual)

In addition to their chosen track, all students study basic subjects such as English, German, French, mathematics, physics, and physical education. In OS3 and OS4, students can also pick elective courses to deepen their specialization.

Certain subjects are only taught in specific grades:

• OS1: Biology, Economics and Law, history, Art, Music, Religious Education and Ethics
• OS2: Biology, Chemistry, Geography, History, Art or Music, Religious Education and Ethics
• OS3: Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Art or Music, Philosophy
• OS4: Geography, Economics and Law, History, Religious Education and Ethics, Philosophy

Matura

To graduate with a Matura, which is a school-leaving diploma, students must finish OS4 and get a mark of “sufficient” in at least two big written projects. They take written tests in German, English or French, Mathematics, and a subject that matches what they specialize in. They also have oral tests in German, plus subjects like Philosophy, Religious Education, Ethics or History, Mathematics, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Geography, Economics and Law, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Latin, or a subject they pick themselves.