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Education at the highest level
Education and knowledge are key factors in
individual and social development. Switzerland has excellent
public schools and a large selection of private and
international educational facilities. The pervasiveness of
vocational training and the dual university system with
technical colleges on the one hand and universities on the other
ensure a high overall level of education.
Excellent public school system
Switzerland’s public school system is among the
best in the world. School attendance is mandatory in
Switzerland, usually from the time a child is 6 years old until
the ninth or tenth mandatory year of schooling, i.e. until the
child is 15 or 16 years old.
The Swiss education sector is decentralized. The only thing
regulated centrally across Switzerland are school entry (age),
the beginning and the duration of the school year, and the
length of obligatory school attendance. Despite the
decentralization of the education system, there is a highly
consistent curriculum for Swiss students. Apart from this, each
canton has its own laws about schooling, and the municipalities
also have relatively comprehensive autonomy, which allows for
locally adapted solutions if need be.
 educa.ch
– The Swiss Education Server
SER
– State Secretariat for Education and Research
Large selection of private and
international
schools
In addition to its excellent public schools,
Switzerland is home to numerous
private teaching institutes. The
internationality of the Greater Zurich Area and the increase in
global companies with an international workforce have created a
grow-ing demand for international schools. More than 20
English-speaking schools (with an international curriculum), a
French- and a Japanese-speaking school and numerous bilingual
schools guarantee an outstanding education and a smooth
transition to other international schools and universities
around the world.
Swiss
Federation of Private Schools
Qualified, well-trained professionals thanks
to
dual education system
In Switzerland, aspiring trainees can choose from
some 300 possible careers once they have completed their
mandatory schooling. The vocational training consists of a
practical, hands-on part at the company, which covers three to
four days a week, and a general education, theoretical part at
the vocational school, which amounts to one or two classroom
days per week. In all, the traineeship takes about three to four
years. Two thirds of young adults in Switzerland choose this
path for career training. The dual education system creates a
high level of general education in the population and ensures a
steady supply of skilled workers.
Illustration
of the Swiss Dual Education System
BERUFSBILDUNGPLUS.ch
– Promotion Initiative for Vocational Education
International center of knowledge with a dual
university system
Switzerland today possesses a dual university
system. The two types of higher education facilities,
universities and technical colleges, have different
characteristics but are regarded as equals. In the Greater
Zurich Area alone, about 20 universities with a total of roughly
100'000 students provide a high-quality education at the
tertiary level.
Switzerland’s universities are either cantonal institutions
co-financed by the federal government, or federal institutions.
As teaching institutions focused on the sciences, they bear the
responsibility for the next generation of scientists. The
University of Zürich (UZH) and the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology Zürich (ETH) are near the top of international
rankings.
UZH
– University Zürich
ETH
– Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich
Most of the technical colleges are backed by cantonal or
regional instances. The federal government has jurisdiction over
them and co-finances them. Beyond running degree programs, their
mandate includes application-oriented research and development,
knowledge and technology transfer, and continued education. By
providing application-oriented education on a scientific basis,
the technical colleges bear the responsibility for supplying
qualified workers to the working world. Both the degree
programs, which are relatively tightly structured, and the
degrees are accredited by the federation, and the titles earned
are protected by law.
Universities
in Switzerland
Universities
of Applied Sciences in Switzerland
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