Is there a better way to overlap business and science subjects?

[TaughtWare]

In the school where I work, Grade 9 and 10 students can either go for the science stream or the business stream.

Science stream means they will take classes of Phy, Chem and Bio.

Business stream means they will take classes of Economics, Accounting and Business studies.

The activities related to these two streams always overlap..............the classes happen simultaneously.

In the past I have been "creating" subjects like "Physics / Economics" and assigning two teachers to the related activities.

Similarly "Bio / Accounting" will have two teachers for the related activities.

This produces inflexibility because I have to manually plan or alter which two subjects will be coupled together.

I want FET to overlap any business subject with any science subject in the slots where the relevant teachers are available.

It will be very kind of you if you could suggest a better way of tackling the problem.

[Liviu Lalescu]

I think you can use constraint activities occupy max time slots from selection. For instance, A and B should overlap with C and D. Add A, B, C, and D, select all time slots of the week, max occupied = 2.

[Volker Dirr]

I think the better way is to use a correct students structure.
but i need to know a few more thing before i can give an answer:

a) Grade 9 Buisiness: So they also have Grade 9 class a, b, ... ?
    If this is true:
    Grade 9 Science: They also have classes a, b, ...?
    If this is true:
    Buisiness class 9a is together with Science class 9a?

b) Are there activities of Grade 9 and 10 together? So maybe for example  9a-physics is together with 10a-physics?
    If this is true:
    Please explain a bit more detailed. Also: Does it effect only a few activities or (nearly) all?

[TaughtWare]

I think you can use constraint activities occupy max time slots from selection. For instance, A and B should overlap with C and D. Add A, B, C, and D, select all time slots of the week, max occupied = 2.

Each subject has 4 periods each. I selected all the 4 periods * 3 subjects * 2 streams = 24 and set max occupied to 12 and did not cross out any slot. The generation failed because it cannot fit 51 periods in 40 slots. Have I misunderstood something?

[TaughtWare]

a) Grade 9 Buisiness: So they also have Grade 9 class a, b, ... ?
    If this is true:
    Grade 9 Science: They also have classes a, b, ...?
    If this is true:
    Buisiness class 9a is together with Science class 9a?

b) Are there activities of Grade 9 and 10 together? So maybe for example  9a-physics is together with 10a-physics?
    If this is true:
    Please explain a bit more detailed. Also: Does it effect only a few activities or (nearly) all?

There are no sections. There is just one Grade 9 with about 10 students. In most subjects the entire class sits together but during the science and business subjects 8 students study the science subjects and 2 students study the business subjects at the same time.

Grade 9 and Grade 10 never sit together in any activity. I think for the problem at hand we should simply ignore all the classes except grade 9. I simply want to learn how to get FET to overlap any suitable period from the business stream with any suitable period from the science stream.

[Liviu Lalescu]

Each subject has 4 periods each. I selected all the 4 periods * 3 subjects * 2 streams = 24 and set max occupied to 12 and did not cross out any slot.

I do not understand the words "did not cross out any slot".

The generation failed because it cannot fit 51 periods in 40 slots.

I do not understand.

[TaughtWare]

"Did not cross out"
It means that I did not put a cross anywhere in the attached dialog.

"it cannot fit 51 periods in 40 slots"
In the real world there are 40 "hours" in a week. FET is unable to fit 51 "hours" in 40 "hours" (slots) because the 12 "hours" of science and business subjects are not happening at the same time in FET like they should.

In other words the three science subjects and the three business subjects are  collectively taking up 24 "hours" instead of 12.

I hope I was able to clarify.

[Liviu Lalescu]

You need to select all the slots (cross out all the slots). The rest of what you did seems right.

[Volker Dirr]

If i understood correct, then you maybe need an other students structure.

You need year "Grade 9". And add group "Grade 9 business" and add group "Grade 9 Science".

Then all activities with 2 teachers and subjects must be modified. Add only one teacher and one subject and only group "Grade 9 business" or group "Grade 9 Science".

[TaughtWare]

You need year "Grade 9". And add group "Grade 9 business" and add group "Grade 9 Science".

I like your suggestion. It should simplify things. Thanks a lot.

Problem solved. I am grateful to all that tried to help out.