School in Switzerland

Switzerland’s school system is federally organised. The cantons have primary responsibility, so names, procedures and some rules can differ depending on the canton where you live. Public compulsory schooling is the usual education path for children and young people. It usually includes kindergarten or a shared entry stage, primary level and lower secondary level. Municipalities often organise day-to-day schooling locally. They assign children to a school and provide information about timetables, childcare, holidays, the school journey and the people to contact. Subjects cover core areas such as languages, mathematics, nature, society, design, music, physical activity and media. Curricula and the names of specific subjects differ in some respects between language regions and cantons. Teachers assess learning through observations, assignments, tests and conversations. Report cards and assessment methods follow cantonal requirements and depend on the children’s ages. When children move on to lower secondary level, performance, development and local procedures may play a role. Depending on the canton, there are different ability tracks, school models and names for them. After compulsory schooling, vocational education and training (berufliche Grundbildung) combining a training company and vocational school is an important path. Other options include general education schools and bridging or support programmes for young people without a direct next step. Schools work with parents and guardians. If there are learning difficulties, conflicts, disabilities or special support needs, school services and other specialist agencies may be involved.