
(BBS European School in Syke) (Germany)
BBS Syke European School is a vocational school centre with about 3000 students and 170 teachers. We, the Department “Gymnasium” want to reach our “Abitur” here. This is possible in three different sectors: Economy, Health & Care and Technique. But there is also a big spectrum with job-related classes e.g. for the career as a social assistant, hairdressers, bakers, mechanics etc.
Our school has partnerships with schools in Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Latvia, Denmark, Serbia and of course Poland, Bosnia Herzegovina and hopefully soon Bulgaria and Finland as well.
All in all, there is a great variety of many, many different people in our school.


Our school takes its name from Don Claudio and Don Carlo Filippo Cavalleri, two brothers and priests who worked very hard succeded in realising the project and later the building of the Cavalleri College in March 1700. The college became soon a great cultural centre and, for over a century, it was a meeting place for noble families of Milan. There have been many students that became quite distinguished in every subject and gave a strong impulse to the growth of Parabiago.
We are lucky because our school is situated in a very big park with a lot of trees and flowers. Inside the building there are several classrooms as well as two computer labs, a chemistry lab, a biology lab, a physics lab, a languages lab, 4 gyms, a drama club, football, rugby grounds, volley and basket courts. Students have the possibility to join several sport group activities. Football, volley, basket, beach volley, rugby, athletics and many other sports are practised. There are a lot of internal as well as external sport competitions. Some students take part in regional or sometimes national championship. There is also an International Volley competition.
A school year lasts 200 days about and it is divided in 2 terms. It usually starts on 10th September and is over on 6th June but during the school year there are some holidays on special occasions (Christmas, Easter, Carnival etc.).
Classes are everyday from 08.10 till 02.05 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. We have 55 or 50 minutes classes. There two breaks during which smokers go out in the park since in the school smoking is not allowed inside and outside the building. Students normally go home for lunch since we haven’t got a canteen. In the afternoon there are only optional or club activities (music, sports, European projects, drama…..).
During the school year students have oral and written tests in all the subjects. They are given a report at the end of each term. All the courses last five years and there is only one final state exam at the end of the fifth year. It consists in three written and one oral tests. It is a state exam, it means that it is the same all over Italy. It usually takes place at the end of June and the students get a final diploma.


The Collective Economics School consists of: Technical School no 1 and Vocational School no1. According to the type of school, students can choose to be educated and trained in the professions of an economist, a trader or a hairstylist. Students of technical secondary school have an opportunity to take a school-leaving exam after their four-year school attendance. During the school, students have their training periods in many firms. Students who choose Vocational School go to the school three times a week and work twice a week. After three years at school they become skilled shop assistants or hairdressers.
Depending on a specialization a lot of attention is drawn to improve students’ professional – economic knowledge. Our teachers introduce special lessons to improve and broaden the students` knowledge in the form of special interest Clubs: e.g. The Circle of Young Economist, the School Club of Enterprising , the Youth Mini-business Club and the Club of British Culture Lovers. In order to find good job opportunities the school prepares students to become flexible and mobile in their employment searching. Our school cooperates with a lot of employers and thanks to that our students are able to do their training periods .
In 2007 we got a Quality Certificate “Enterprise School”, which is an award by Youth Enterprise Foundation and Commission for Financial Supervision. The teachers motivate students to learn foreign languages and respect European values.
Therefore, since 2001 the European Club called “EuroEkonomik” has been working in our school and students can broaden their knowledge about the EU in debates, lectures, contests, organized on Europe’s Days etc.It is very important for our students to gain experience and have contacts with other students in different countries in order to develop their awareness of the European dimension through cooperation. We have worked with countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark and Bulgaria. We have realized projects in the UK, Norway and Finland. Consequently, our school has been working for 10 years with the European school BBS Syke from Germany mostly in cultural exchanges and practical training for the youth. Thanks to it the young people have a chance to gain practical education while working for some European companies. Our school submitted a project for a Leonardo da Vinci programme in February 2012, so in 2013 our students had an opportunity to participate in this programme. Our latest project the “S.O.S Europe” engaged young people from BBS- Syke – Germany, Liceo Cavalleri in Parabiago – Italy, IES in Bendinat- Spain, St. Paul’s College in Dublin – Ireland, Pencho Slaveikov Comprehensive School in Sofia – Bulgaria.


Finally, for the fact of being located in a prime tourist is a good example of harmony and coexistence of different languages and cultures that make up the municipality.