The curriculum in Switzerland
Presented By Nayeli Checa
Switzerland: One country, 26
schooling systems.
The Swiss education system: It is
free and compulsory for 9 years (11 in Canton Zurich, first difference).
Stages: kindergarten (Kindergarten, 1
or 2 years, optional/compulsory depending on the canton), primary school (Primarschule
or scuola elementare, 6 years) and secondary school/'Gymnasium' (6 years).
It is important to mention that the
educational system is considered one of the most advanced in the world. For
this reason, most students seeking to study internationally prefer to go to
Switzerland.
The system is well established and
functional with delegated responsibility and administration.
The administration and regulation of
the school system in Switzerland is handled by the cantons and has a framework
set by the central government. Each canton establishes its school calendar,
curriculum, teaching methods and curricula and criteria. This system is
overseen by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation
(SERI). Decentralization has its advantages, although it can make it difficult
for people to move their children from one canton to another.
Compulsory Swiss education
Education
is compulsory for all children and young people between the ages of 9 and 11.
Children begin compulsory education when they are about four to six years old
until about the age of 15. The cantons also regulate this.
Although
there are private schools in Switzerland, most students attend public schools
in the local area. This brings diversity so that children can experience many
different backgrounds, including, sometimes, linguistic backgrounds. Public
schools are free and children are not required to wear uniforms.
Primary
Education
Primary
education in most parts of Switzerland is considered kindergarten and the first
cycle of apprenticeship. Kindergarten is not compulsory in all cantons, but
elementary school is.
In
kindergarten, children are taught about manners and basic skills. That is when
they are introduced to other languages and Swiss culture. Kindergarten aims to
teach children basic social skills and gestures through play-based learning.
Through music, games, art and many crafts, they are introduced to reading and
basic math.
After they have finished kindergarten, around age 6, they go to elementary school.
Depending
on the canton, the combinations may differ.
In
German-speaking cantons, kindergarten and two years of primary education are
combined in the first learning cycle, and students aged four to eight are in
the same class. This is called Grundstufe or Basisstufe.
In
French-speaking cantons, two years of kindergarten are combined with two years
of kindergarten to form the first cycle of primary education.
Children
in Italian-speaking cantons attend kindergarten from the age of four.
High School Education
Secondary
education in Switzerland is divided into two stages. Lower secondary education
and upper secondary education. Children begin their lower secondary education
around the age of 11 to 12, and it lasts 3 to 4 years. Upper secondary
education is equivalent to high schools in the U.S. education systems in terms
of the age of the students. Still, it is very different from an American high
school.
Lower secondary education
Lower
secondary schools in Switzerland are called Gymnasiums or Kantonsschule. This
is where children learn their mother tongue, a second language spoken in
Switzerland and English. Languages receive quite a lot of emphasis in the Swiss
education system and therefore most people there speak at least one second
language.
Natural
sciences are also given a lot of importance where mathematics, biology,
chemistry, physics and geography are taught as some of the main subjects. Other
subjects such as history, civics, music, art and design, physical education and
health, home economics, career counseling and career preparation are also taught.
Students
are graded with numbers from 6 (being the highest) to 1 (the lowest). They also
take exams at the end of the school year, where they test their accumulated
knowledge. At the end of the year, depending on performance, students either
continue to the next year or repeat the previous year.
Upper secondary education
Secondary school in Switzerland is not compulsory and its structure is unique. Once students finish their lower secondary education, they can choose what type of career they want to pursue. They can choose between a vocational education and training (VET), a baccalaureate or a specialized upper secondary school.
A
vocational school is the preferred option for youngest Swiss students. That's
where they learn skills in school and see how it's done through first-hand
experience in companies that provide apprenticeships and business-to-business
courses. They last from 2 to 4 years and allow students to acquire technical
and practical knowledge. Through VET school, students earn a federal VET diploma
or a federal VET certificate that will allow them to work and continue their
education.
A baccalaureate school is the ⅓ choice of Swiss students. It can be considered a continuation of lower secondary education, where the subjects are similar to those previously in lower secondary education, plus law and economics. Enrollment is based on the student's previous performance and the grading system is the same as in lower secondary education. These schools usually last from 3 to 6 years, depending on the canton.
At the end of the program, students must take a test and submit a baccalaureate essay. Depending on their performance, they are awarded a certificate called Matura and are then eligible to start cantonal universities, technological institutes and teacher training colleges.
Specialized
senior high schools provide specialized preparation for a career in health
care, social work and education. Students are graded on the same grading system
as before and study core subjects related to the specific occupation. Grades
determine whether students progress to the next year or not. The program lasts
three years, and at the end, students must take a final exam in six of their
subjects. If successfully completed, they earn a specialized high school
certificate and continue their education at PET universities.
Tertiary
Tertiary
education is a continuation of the upper secondary education that a student
chooses. Switzerland's education ranking has regularly been among the top 100
in the world for tertiary education.
University
is the logical choice for students with a Matura, while Fachhochschule or
Höhere Fachschule is the choice for students with a VET certificate. Students
with a specialized upper secondary school certificate will continue their
education at PET universities.
University
Switzerland
has 12 universities in total, 10 of which are administered and regulated by the
cantons and offer theory-oriented majors. There is a wide range of subjects
offered for study at Swiss universities.
In addition, universities in Switzerland are known for their BBAs and MBAs, and tend to be some of the best in the world. This has resulted in a considerable number of international students in the country. Many of these students attend the best universities in Switzerland to obtain their advanced degrees.
Some
of the best known universities in Switzerland are the federal institutes of
tertiary technology and teacher training universities.
Fachhochschule or Höhere Fachschule
There
is one private and eight public universities of applied sciences. These
institutions of higher education offer students degrees in subject areas such
as engineering, technology or business, and prepare students for the Swiss and
global job markets.
The
difference between a university and a Fachhochschule is that the latter
generally does not award a doctoral degree. Fachhochschule also differs from
the traditional university in Switzerland by its practice-based teaching as
opposed to a theory-based orientation.
Home
education in Switzerland
Due
to Switzerland's strong educational system, home schooling is not common in the
country. In addition, each canton has its own laws regarding home schooling and
only some allow it.
However,
if your canton allows homeschooling, you must register annually, notify the
local education department and work within their guidelines.
Figure 1: Examples of
entities and their interactions at different levels of the educational system
(non-exhaustive)
Figure 2: Swiss education
system overview
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