Syllabi in the science subjects, biology, chemistry and physics at lower and general upper secondary school are compared in the light of their underlying philosophies, goals, objectives and recognized importance in science teaching. Even though all syllabi were prepared within the same framework, great differences among syllabi concerning practical work are evident. More importance is given to practical work in the syllabi of chemistry and physics, where it is recognized as a basic method, while in the biology syllabus the construction of concepts is valued much higher. (Contains 3 tables.)