1. The Swiss Educational System
By Anh Tho Andres, MBA

2. Brief Country Overview
Federal Structure with 3 political levels:
Confederation (Federal capital: Berne);
Cantonal (26 cantons);
Communal (also have own powers in various areas).
Multi-ethnic, multilingual, multi-confessional
Not member of EU, but part of Schenghen
GDP per capita: US$ (est. 2010)
Population: million (50.8 F / 49.2 M)

3. Swiss Education in Brief
Swiss System Unique
Federal Institutions
Role of Cantons
National and Regional Competences
Swiss Edu Organigram
Education, Research & Transfer of Technology
International Cooperation
THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMThe Swiss educational system is distinguished by its diversity, each of the 26 cantons being responsible for all aspects of education in its territory.

4. Swiss Education system is unique
No Ministry of Education at national level
Federal level points of contact: OPET & SER
National coordination agency is EDK
Each canton has own education policy

5. Swiss Federal Contacts on Education
OPET / OFFT
Federal Office for
Professional Education
and Technology
SER
State Secretariat for
Education & Research

6. Professional Education &Technology
OPET/OFFT is the federal competence centre
Upper-secondary level Vocational Education and Training (VET), targets 235’000 students;
Tertiary-level Professional Education and training (PET), targets 50’000 students;
Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS/HES) and innovation, targets 63’000 students;
Over 600 professional organisations.
Budget : 22 billion CHF ( )

7. Swiss Education and Research
The State Secretariat for Education and Research SER belongs to the Federal Department of Home Affairs;
Specialised agency for general and university education, research and space;
100 members of staff;
Annual Budget 2.3 billion CHF.

8. Swiss Cantons & Education
The main responsibility for education lies with the 26 cantons (EDK network);
The federal government and cantons share responsibility for public post-compulsory education (matura schools, vocational training and universities);
Due to cantonal differences
Multilingual
Multi-cultural
Multi-confessionnal

9. EDK National Competences
CPS/WBZ
Swiss Office for In-Service Training of Upper Secondary Teachers;
CSFO/SDBB
Swiss Centre for Vocational Training/Study and Career Counselling;
CSRE/SKBF
Swiss Coordination Centre for Research in Education;
CSPS/SZH
Swiss Office for Special Needs Education;
CTIE/SFIB
Swiss Centre for Information Technologies in Education;
IEDS/IFES
Institute for External Evaluation of Upper Secondary Schools;

10. EDK Regional Conferences
Handle various tasks which require cooperation at a regional level:
List of cantonal education departments
French & Italian Speaking Parts
German Speaking Parts
BKZ (LU-NW-OW-SZ-UR-ZG)
EDK-OST (AI-AR-GL-GR-SG-SH-SZ-TG-ZH-FL)
NW-EDK (AG-BE-BL-BS-FR-SO-VS-ZH)

11. National Languages Spoken / Canton
German
17 cantons
67.8%
French
4 cantons
24.2%
Italian
1 canton
11.1%
Bilingual (F/D)
3 cantons

12. Cultural Diversity in Switzerland
Serb / Croat 1.4%
Albanese 1.3%
Portuguese 1.2%
Spanish 1.1%
English 3.4%
Turkish 0.6%
Tamil 0.3%
Arabic 0.2 %
Vietnamese 0.2%
Dutch 0.2 %
Russian 0.1 %
Chinese 0.1%
Thaï 0.1%
Kurdish 0.1%
Macedonian 0.1%

13. Swiss Education Organigram
Pre-school compulsory schooling
Post-compulsory education
Tertiary (Higher Education)
Vocational Education
Continuing Education

14. Pre-school compulsory schooling
91% students go to local state pre-school and compulsory schooling
9% attend private school
Pre-school education is free (1-2 yrs)
Compulsory begins at age 6 (9 yrs)
Languages: German, French, Italian. Most students are bi-lingual or tri-lingual.
Some children between the ages of 4 and 6 – that is, 98.5% of children in this age group – attended nursery school (pre-school level) in Of these, over 9% were enrolled in unsubsidised private schools.

15. Compulsory & Upper Secondary
Compulsory school
9 years
Include Primary & Secondary level I
Free of Charge for ALL (Swiss or foreign)
Total in 2007: 788’000
Upper Secondary
Matura school (French Baccalauréat)
Specialised Middle School
Specialised Matura
Basic Vocational Education and Training
Compulsory schooling lasts for nine years and includes a primary and a secondary cycle (secondary level I) in all cantons. Attendance is compulsory and free of charge for all children, whether Swiss or foreign. The municipalities ensure that all children can attend their local public school or one nearby. The schools directorate of each municipality (or the municipal administration if there is no schools directorate) can provide information on general schooling matters (e.g. admission, regulations or transport). A total of around pupils were enrolled in compulsory schooling in 2007, 3.6% of them in private schools.

16. 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).
Exceptions : The Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology are in charge of the federal authorities.
90% complete secondary school at age 18
The years of compulsory schooling are followed by secondary level II, at which there are two choices: (1) the general academic route in, for example, ‘Matura’ schools or specialised schools, or (2) vocational training. Some two thirds of children go on from compulsory schooling to vocational training (apprenticeship), while one third take the general academic route.

17. Tertiary (Higher Education)
For Bachelor or Master Degrees
Swiss Universities by World Ranking
Federal Institutes of Technology (FIT)
Universities of Teacher Education
Universities of Applied Sciences (HES)
Federal Diploma / Advanced Federal Certificate
Colleges of Higher Vocational Education and Training
Tertiary level education comprises advanced vocational training, the universities and vocational schools with university status. In 2007/08 some students were engaged in tertiary education. Useful information on tertiary education (university-level schools and universities) is available on the website of the Rectors’ Conference of the Swiss Universities

18. World ranking of Swiss Universities
52. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich
135. Université de Genève
138. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
274. Universität Basel
310. Universität Bern
321. Universität Zürich
341. Université de Lausanne
571. Université de Fribourg
611. Université de Neuchâtel

19. Federal Institutes of Technology
EPFL – One of the most famous European institutions of science and technology
Missions: Training, Research & Technology Transfer
Over 11’000 Students, Researchers & Staff.
13 complete Study programmes incl. Bachelors to Masters in Engineering, Basic Sciences, ICT, Life Sciences, Construction, Architecture and Environment and Research for Ph.D.

20. Universities of Teacher Education
The Swiss Conference of Rectors of Universities of Teacher Education (COHEP) combines all rectors of universities of teacher education, as well as the rectors of other teacher education institutions.
2 Objectives: Increase professionalisation of Teaching & Recognition of cantonal teaching qualifications on national level.
Core tasks: Teaching – R&D – Counselling
14 universities

21. Universities of Applied Sciences
9 UAS/HES as complementary partner to Cantonal Universities and FITs;
Bring Academic & Business together;
Offer 300 Bachelor & Master Degrees;
Solid reputation on international market;
Subjects taught : technology, business, design, health, social work and art.

22. Vocational Education Training
VET: Vocational Education Training
200 VET programmes
400 Professional College Degree Prog.
400 Professional Education Training for Federal PET/Advanced PET Diploma.
Targets 2/3 young people entering labour market.

23. Switzerland & International Network
Research Programmes
Eureka in Economy-oriented development;
HFSP in Neurobiology & Molecular Biology;
ESA European Space Agency;
CERN European Nuclear Research.
Cooperation with EU programmes
Bologna Agreement
ECTS Credit Transfer System
Socrates
Leonardo da Vinci
Erasmus
Multilateral and Global Bilateral Contacts

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