promotion is automatic within the same cycle of primary education but progression from one cycle to the next is contingent upon meeting the curricular aims for that particular cycle a pupil may repeat a year but only once in the primary level pupils who continue to the next cycle but who are negatively assessed in one or more areas must receive appropriate support to help them catch up likewise special attention is paid to the early detection of learning difficulties and to the prevention of school failure at an early age an official academic certificate is not awarded at the end of primary education but it is awarded at the end of the basic education which includes primary and lower secondary education in lower secondary education assessment is continuous ie integrated into the leaching and learning process and separate for each subject