Vacallo
Encyclopedia
Vacallo is a municipality
in the district of Mendrisio
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
. It is the first (or last) village of the Valle di Muggio
.
, Vacallo and Morbio Inferiore
decided to unite into one commune. In return for losing independence, the commune would have gained access to more services, such as retirement homes in the surrounding areas. The new united commune which would have had a population of approximately 15,300 people over a territory of 9.2 km² (3.6 sq mi), was voted against by the population in November 2007.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 31.7% and transportation infrastructure made up 9.9%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 3.1%. Out of the forested land, 32.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 4.3% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 8.7% is used for growing crops, while 5.0% is used for orchards or vine crops and 31.7% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Gules an inverted chevron throughout argent between three bunches of grapes or.
Each bunch of grapes symbolises the three parishes or 'frazione' of the commune, including San Simone and Roggiana and maybe Pizzamiglio.
(2,564 or 93.0%), with German
being second most common (113 or 4.1%) and French
being third (42 or 1.5%). There are 1 people who speak Romansh.
, the gender distribution of the population was 47.8% male and 52.2% female. The population was made up of 1,078 Swiss men (35.9% of the population), and 359 (12.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,246 Swiss women (41.5%), and 321 (10.7%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality 754 or about 27.3% were born in Vacallo and lived there in 2000. There were 846 or 30.7% who were born in the same canton, while 256 or 9.3% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 882 or 32.0% were born outside of Switzerland.
In there were 20 live births to Swiss citizens and 7 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 15 deaths of Swiss citizens and 3 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 5 while the foreign population increased by 4. There were 3 Swiss women who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 30 non-Swiss men and 14 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 36 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 34 people. This represents a population growth rate of 2.4%.
The age distribution, , in Vacallo is; 252 children or 8.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 306 teenagers or 10.2% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 272 people or 9.1% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 411 people or 13.7% are between 30 and 39, 526 people or 17.5% are between 40 and 49, and 380 people or 12.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 412 people or 13.7% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 282 people or 9.4% are between 70 and 79, there are 163 people or 5.4% who are over 80.
, there were 1,024 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 1,476 married individuals, 165 widows or widowers and 93 individuals who are divorced.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.58 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.6 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 43.8% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 1,169 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. There were 326 households that consist of only one person and 60 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 1,172 households that answered this question, 27.8% were households made up of just one person and 27 were adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 319 married couples without children, 400 married couples with children There were 78 single parents with a child or children. There were 19 households that were made up unrelated people and 3 households that were made some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 338 single family homes (or 60.6% of the total) out of a total of 558 inhabited buildings. There were 185 multi-family buildings (33.2%), along with 19 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (3.4%) and 16 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (2.9%). Of the single family homes 10 were built before 1919, while 45 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (105) were built between 1946 and 1960.
there were 1,416 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 4 rooms of which there were 469. There were 37 single room apartments and 337 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 1,164 apartments (82.2% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 30 apartments (2.1%) were seasonally occupied and 222 apartments (15.7%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.7 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 2.77%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
commemorates the fact that Giacomo Puccini
stayed in Vacallo between 1889 and 1892 and composed the second act of Manon Lescaut
here.
Other visitors include Ruggero Leoncavallo
and the local celebrity Luigi Pagani, also known as Mattirolo or Matiröö. Vacallo is also known for its basketball team, which has won multiple national titles.
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 25.74% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(24.87%), the SP
(18.62%) and the Ticino League
(18.02%). In the federal election, a total of 996 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 52.3%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 1,986 registered voters in Vacallo, of which 1,283 or 64.6% voted. 19 blank ballots and 3 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,261 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD
+GenGiova which received 292 or 23.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT
(with 272 or 21.6%), the PS
(with 216 or 17.1%) and the SSI (with 204 or 16.2%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 18 blank ballots and 7 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,258 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the LEGA which received 279 or 22.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA (with 279 or 22.2%), the PLRT (with 251 or 20.0%) and the PS (with 228 or 18.1%).
the total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 290. The number of jobs in the primary sector was , all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 87, of which 34 or (39.1%) were in manufacturing and 39 (44.8%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 203. In the tertiary sector; 54 or 26.6% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 12 or 5.9% were in the movement and storage of goods, 19 or 9.4% were in a hotel or restaurant, 6 or 3.0% were the insurance or financial industry, 6 or 3.0% were technical professionals or scientists, 18 or 8.9% were in education and 11 or 5.4% were in health care.
, there were 321 workers who commuted into the municipality and 1,066 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 3.3 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. About 32.7% of the workforce coming into Vacallo are coming from outside Switzerland, while 1.2% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work. Of the working population, 6.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 70.8% used a private car.
, there was one hotel in Vacallo.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 8 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 0.29% of the population), there were 5 individuals (or about 0.18% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church
, and there were 29 individuals (or about 1.05% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There was 1 individual who was Jewish
, and 14 (or about 0.51% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There were 2 individuals who were Buddhist
. 139 (or about 5.04% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 60 individuals (or about 2.18% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 355 who completed tertiary schooling, 47.9% were Swiss men, 28.5% were Swiss women, 17.7% were non-Swiss men and 5.9% were non-Swiss women.
In Vacallo there were a total of 463 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Vacallo there were 84 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 134 students attended the standard primary schools and 4 students attended the special school. In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two year middle school followed by a two year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four year program to prepare for higher education. There were 118 students in the two year middle school, while 54 students were in the four year advanced program.
The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college. In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student). There were 29 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 37 who attend part-time.
The professional program lasts three years and prepares a student for a job in engineering, nursing, computer science, business, tourism and similar fields. There were 3 students in the professional program.
, there were 29 students in Vacallo who came from another municipality, while 239 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the district of Mendrisio
Mendrisio (district)
The district of Mendrisio is the southernmost district of canton of Ticino and of Switzerland. To its north lies the district of Lugano. It is surrounded on the other three sides by Italy: to the east and south by the province of Como, and to the west by the province of Varese...
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Ticino
Ticino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It is the first (or last) village of the Valle di Muggio
Valle di Muggio
The Valle di Muggio is situated in Ticino in Switzerland and is the southernmost valley of the country.The name comes from the town of Muggio, which is the largest population centre in the valley. Roncapiano is the highest village in the valley, where the roads end...
.
History
In 2007, the three mayors of ChiassoChiasso
Chiasso is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.As the southernmost of Switzerland's municipalities, Chiasso is located at the border with Italy, in front of Ponte Chiasso...
, Vacallo and Morbio Inferiore
Morbio Inferiore
Morbio Inferiore is a municipality in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland in the hills above Chiasso. It is located in the district of Mendrisio.-History:...
decided to unite into one commune. In return for losing independence, the commune would have gained access to more services, such as retirement homes in the surrounding areas. The new united commune which would have had a population of approximately 15,300 people over a territory of 9.2 km² (3.6 sq mi), was voted against by the population in November 2007.
Geography
Vacallo has an area, , of 1.61 square kilometre (0.621624475333981 sq mi). Of this area, 0.73 km² (0.281854575772551 sq mi) or 45.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.6 km² (0.231661295155521 sq mi) or 37.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.73 km² (0.281854575772551 sq mi) or 45.3% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.03 km² (7.4 acre) or 1.9% is either rivers or lakes and 0.04 km² (9.9 acre) or 2.5% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 31.7% and transportation infrastructure made up 9.9%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 3.1%. Out of the forested land, 32.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 4.3% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 8.7% is used for growing crops, while 5.0% is used for orchards or vine crops and 31.7% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
Coat of arms
The blazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
of the municipal coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is Gules an inverted chevron throughout argent between three bunches of grapes or.
Each bunch of grapes symbolises the three parishes or 'frazione' of the commune, including San Simone and Roggiana and maybe Pizzamiglio.
Demographics
Vacallo has a population of . , 23.2% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 0.2%. Most of the population speaks Italian languageItalian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
(2,564 or 93.0%), with German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
being second most common (113 or 4.1%) and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
being third (42 or 1.5%). There are 1 people who speak Romansh.
, the gender distribution of the population was 47.8% male and 52.2% female. The population was made up of 1,078 Swiss men (35.9% of the population), and 359 (12.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,246 Swiss women (41.5%), and 321 (10.7%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality 754 or about 27.3% were born in Vacallo and lived there in 2000. There were 846 or 30.7% who were born in the same canton, while 256 or 9.3% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 882 or 32.0% were born outside of Switzerland.
In there were 20 live births to Swiss citizens and 7 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 15 deaths of Swiss citizens and 3 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 5 while the foreign population increased by 4. There were 3 Swiss women who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 30 non-Swiss men and 14 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 36 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 34 people. This represents a population growth rate of 2.4%.
The age distribution, , in Vacallo is; 252 children or 8.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 306 teenagers or 10.2% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 272 people or 9.1% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 411 people or 13.7% are between 30 and 39, 526 people or 17.5% are between 40 and 49, and 380 people or 12.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 412 people or 13.7% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 282 people or 9.4% are between 70 and 79, there are 163 people or 5.4% who are over 80.
, there were 1,024 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 1,476 married individuals, 165 widows or widowers and 93 individuals who are divorced.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.58 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.6 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 43.8% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 1,169 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. There were 326 households that consist of only one person and 60 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 1,172 households that answered this question, 27.8% were households made up of just one person and 27 were adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 319 married couples without children, 400 married couples with children There were 78 single parents with a child or children. There were 19 households that were made up unrelated people and 3 households that were made some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 338 single family homes (or 60.6% of the total) out of a total of 558 inhabited buildings. There were 185 multi-family buildings (33.2%), along with 19 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (3.4%) and 16 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (2.9%). Of the single family homes 10 were built before 1919, while 45 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (105) were built between 1946 and 1960.
there were 1,416 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 4 rooms of which there were 469. There were 37 single room apartments and 337 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 1,164 apartments (82.2% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 30 apartments (2.1%) were seasonally occupied and 222 apartments (15.7%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.7 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 2.77%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Sights
A plaqueCommemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
commemorates the fact that Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
stayed in Vacallo between 1889 and 1892 and composed the second act of Manon Lescaut
Manon Lescaut (Puccini)
Manon Lescaut is an opera in four acts by Giacomo Puccini. The story is based on the 1731 novel L’histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut by the Abbé Prévost....
here.
Other visitors include Ruggero Leoncavallo
Ruggero Leoncavallo
Ruggero Leoncavallo was an Italian opera composer. His two-act work Pagliacci remains one of the most popular works in the repertory, appearing as number 20 on the Operabase list of the most-performed operas worldwide.-Biography:...
and the local celebrity Luigi Pagani, also known as Mattirolo or Matiröö. Vacallo is also known for its basketball team, which has won multiple national titles.
Politics
In the 2007 federal electionSwiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
the most popular party was the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
which received 25.74% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
(24.87%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(18.62%) and the Ticino League
Ticino League
The Ticino League is an isolationist, national conservative political party in Switzerland active in the canton of Ticino.In 1991, after some public campaigning in the Sunday journal Mattino della Domenica against political power and use of public money, the editor Giuliano Bignasca and the...
(18.02%). In the federal election, a total of 996 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was 52.3%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 1,986 registered voters in Vacallo, of which 1,283 or 64.6% voted. 19 blank ballots and 3 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,261 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
+GenGiova which received 292 or 23.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
(with 272 or 21.6%), the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 216 or 17.1%) and the SSI (with 204 or 16.2%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 18 blank ballots and 7 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,258 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the LEGA which received 279 or 22.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA (with 279 or 22.2%), the PLRT (with 251 or 20.0%) and the PS (with 228 or 18.1%).
Economy
, Vacallo had an unemployment rate of 4.3%. , there were people employed in the primary economic sector and about businesses involved in this sector. 68 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 11 businesses in this sector. 201 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 51 businesses in this sector. There were 1,267 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 40.1% of the workforce.the total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 290. The number of jobs in the primary sector was , all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 87, of which 34 or (39.1%) were in manufacturing and 39 (44.8%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 203. In the tertiary sector; 54 or 26.6% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 12 or 5.9% were in the movement and storage of goods, 19 or 9.4% were in a hotel or restaurant, 6 or 3.0% were the insurance or financial industry, 6 or 3.0% were technical professionals or scientists, 18 or 8.9% were in education and 11 or 5.4% were in health care.
, there were 321 workers who commuted into the municipality and 1,066 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 3.3 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. About 32.7% of the workforce coming into Vacallo are coming from outside Switzerland, while 1.2% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work. Of the working population, 6.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 70.8% used a private car.
, there was one hotel in Vacallo.
Religion
From the , 2,400 or 87.0% were Roman Catholic, while 100 or 3.6% belonged to the Swiss Reformed ChurchSwiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
. Of the rest of the population, there were 8 members of an Orthodox church
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
(or about 0.29% of the population), there were 5 individuals (or about 0.18% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church
Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
The Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland is the Swiss member church of the Union of Utrecht, also known as Old Catholic Church, originally founded by the jansenists, with a later influx of discontented Catholics following their disappointment with the First Vatican Council. It has 14,000...
, and there were 29 individuals (or about 1.05% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There was 1 individual who was Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 14 (or about 0.51% of the population) who were Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There were 2 individuals who were Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. 139 (or about 5.04% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 60 individuals (or about 2.18% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Vacallo about 1,169 or (42.4%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 355 or (12.9%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
). Of the 355 who completed tertiary schooling, 47.9% were Swiss men, 28.5% were Swiss women, 17.7% were non-Swiss men and 5.9% were non-Swiss women.
In Vacallo there were a total of 463 students . The Ticino education system
Education in Switzerland
The education system in Switzerland is very diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the authority for the school system mainly to the cantons...
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
and in Vacallo there were 84 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 134 students attended the standard primary schools and 4 students attended the special school. In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two year middle school followed by a two year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four year program to prepare for higher education. There were 118 students in the two year middle school, while 54 students were in the four year advanced program.
The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college. In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student). There were 29 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 37 who attend part-time.
The professional program lasts three years and prepares a student for a job in engineering, nursing, computer science, business, tourism and similar fields. There were 3 students in the professional program.
, there were 29 students in Vacallo who came from another municipality, while 239 residents attended schools outside the municipality.