Basics

Education in a multilingual and federalist country

In Switzerland, education is the responsibility of the government from the pre-school (kindergarten) to the tertiary level (universities and higher vocational education and training). The main responsibility for education lies with the 26 cantons. The federal government and cantons share responsibility for public post-compulsory education (matura schools, vocational education and training and universities). The cantons and their local municipalities finance about 87% (2005) of public educational expenditures.

Pre-school and compulsory schooling

Most students in Switzerland (95%) complete pre-school and compulsory schooling at the state school in the municipality in which they live. 5% attend a private school.

State schools play an important role in integration: children who have different social, linguistic and cultural backgrounds all attend the same school.

The schools are the responsibility of the cantons. The local municipalities organize the way in which schools are run. Because education is locally rooted, individual solutions can be implemented at each location.

All cantons provide 1-2 years of free pre-school education ("kindergarten", "école enfantine"); the canton of Ticino offers 3 years. Compulsory schooling today begins at age 6 and continues for nine school years. Most primary schools today span grades 1-6. This is followed by the lower secondary level (grades 7-9) where pupils receive instruction in performance-based groups, either in all subjects or in some subjects.

The language of instruction is German, French, Italian or Romansh, depending on the language region, though Romansh-language communities are a special case (more). Traditionally, language learning has an important role in Switzerland. All students learn at least two other languages during their compulsory schooling. This is generally one of the other languages spoken in Switzerland and English.

The federal and decentralised structure of pre-school education and compulsory education makes it possible to deal appropriately with the cultural differences in a multilingual country and its regional-specific school traditions. National requirements apply to key parameters (school entry age, length of compulsory schooling). These requirements will be broadened over the next few years on the basis of a new intercantonal agreement of the EDK on harmonisation of compulsory education (HarmoS). 2 years of pre-school will become compulsory through this harmonisation process.

Post-compulsory education

Swiss legislation (intercantonal or national) forms the basis for the type of education in the area of post-compulsory education (upper secondary level and tertiary level). The cantons are responsible for enforcing this legislation and are responsible for the organisation of the schools. The only exceptions are the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, which are in charge of the federal authorities.

90% of young people in Switzerland complete upper secondary education at the age of 18 or 19 which allows them to start working, to switch to a college of higher vocational training or – with a matura/baccalaureate – to continue their education at a university or a university of applied sciences.

The following are distinct features of the Swiss education system:

• Permeability: There are many ways to enter or transfer to a training programme or school or to attend a catch up training programme.
  
• There is open access to the various types of education: Anyone who has the necessary qualifications can generally attend the course of his/her choice, the university attended can also be freely selected. Vocational education and training is subject to some restrictions due to the ceilings on student numbers for certain vocational areas. Access to medical schools is also limited to a certain extent.
  

Diplomas are recognised throughout Switzerland, thus facilitating national and international mobility.