Switzerland

For entities in Switzerland see Category:Switzerland.

Switzerland in a nutshell

Switzerland and its "Cantone"

Switzerland (German: Schweiz, French: Suisse, Italian: Svizzera), officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked alpine country of roughly 7.6 million people in Western Europe with an area of 41,285 km². Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 26 states called cantons. Berne is the seat of the federal authorities, while the country's economic centres are its two global cities, Geneva and especially Zürich. Switzerland is one of the richest countries in the world.

It is bordered by Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. Switzerland has a long history of neutrality — it has not been at war since 1815 — and hosts many international organizations, including the Red Cross, the World Trade Organization and one of the U.N.'s two European offices. Switzerland is multilingual and has four national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. The country's formal name is Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft in German, Confédération suisse in French, Confederazione Svizzera in Italian and Confederaziun svizra in Romansh. The establishment of Switzerland is traditionally dated to August 1, 1291; the first of August is the national holiday.

The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton has its own constitution, legislature, government and courts. Most of the cantons' legislatures are unicameral parliaments, their size varying between fifty-eight and two hundred seats. A few legislatures are general assemblies known as Landsgemeinden. The cantonal governments consist of either five or seven members, depending on the canton. For the names of the institutions, see List of legislative and executive councils of the Cantons of Switzerland.

The Swiss Federal Constitution declares the cantons to be sovereign to the extent their sovereignty is not limited by federal law. The cantons also retain all powers and competencies not delegated to the Confederation by the Constitution. Most significantly, the cantons are responsible for healthcare, welfare, law enforcement and public education; they also retain the power of taxation. The cantonal constitutions determine the degree of autonomy accorded to the municipalities, which varies but almost always includes the power to levy taxes and pass municipal laws. The sizes of the cantons vary from 37 km² to 7,105 km²; the populations vary from 14,900 to 1,244,400.

As on the federal level, all cantons provide for direct democracy. Citizens may demand a popular vote to amend the cantonal constitution or laws, or to veto laws or spending bills passed by the parliament. General popular assemblies (Landsgemeinde) are now limited to the cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden and Glarus. In all other cantons democratic rights are exercised by secret ballot.

Swiss education policy

The competences in the educational system are distributed between the Confederation, cantons and the municipalities; the characteristic of this is not a strict separation of the responsibilities but the cooperation of the Confederation, cantons and municipalities with one another. The responsibility for the legal implementation, financing and execution vary depending on the type of educational level and the respective educational facility. The primary responsibility for education lies within the cantons. A goal of the Federal constitution is that "children and adolescents as well as those who have reached an employable age can receive education, vocational education and further education according to their capabilities", and that "children and adolescents shall be encouraged in their development into independent and socially responsible individuals and shall be supported in their social, cultural and political integration" (Federal Constitution Article 41, Paragraph 1 Letters f and g).

Responsibilities of the cantons and the municipalities

• According to the Confederation constitution, the cantons are According to the Federal constitution, the cantons are responsible for school education. "They must ensure that there is adequate primary school tuition available for all children. The primary school tuition is obligatory and is subject to state management or supervision. This is free of charge in public schools" (Federal Constitution Article 62). The cantons and their municipalities are wholly responsible for the decision making process, financing and execution of the primary Level and the compulsory schools.
• The cantons and the Confederation carry their respective responsibilities for the public education system at the Secondary Level. The Confederation regulates vocational education, the cantons organise its implementation and bear the majority of the financial expenses. The cantons and the Confederation regulate the Matura Schools jointly, the cantons manage the Matura Schools. The cantons are responsible for further general education schools on this level.
• In the area of the universities as well as in the rest of the tertiary area, the responsibility of the cantons and the Confederation is partly legislatory, partly as responsible body for the universities, with their efforts coordinated. The cantons are solely responsible for the universities of teacher education (Pädagogische Hochschulen - PH), which are also subject to inter-cantonal legislation. Furthermore, the individual cantons themselves are responsible for their cantonal universities.

The cantonal school law is implemented largely via the educational department in the cantons. The educational departments determine the curricula, official teaching material and the sizes of the classes. Amongst other institutions, the municipalities manage the kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools, and are supported in this by the school commission and the Schulpflege (school council). These represent the local school authorities and have the responsibility for the premises and the acquisition of teaching aids. In some cases they also select the teachers or possess control functions. Parents may also be represented in the school commission and school council.

Cooperation between the cantons and the school concordat

The inter-cantonal cooperation and school coordination is one of the tasks of the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK). All cantonal government members responsible for education, literacy, culture and sport are represented in the EDK. The EDK encourages and obligates the cantons to cooperation and harmonisation (e.g. with regard to reforms, cooperation in the area of planning, research, school statistics). Basic instruments of the EDK are the intern-cantonal agreements and the concordat supported recommendation. Inter-cantonal agreements are government contracts between the cantons (qualification agreements and the terms of their implementation, e.g. the recognition regulation for the professional training of teachers, financing and freedom of movement agreements such as the inter-cantonal university agreement). Furthermore, the EDK releases curricula for certain vocational studies. The school concordat of 1970 is the legal basis of the EDK. This generally obliges the cantons to cooperative measures in the field of education. The school concordat regulates the beginning and duration of the school year, the age of enrolment at school and the length of the compulsory schooling. An enhancement of the school concordat from 1970 is being planned. The new intern-cantonal agreement for the harmonisation of the compulsory school of the EDK will regulate important new benchmarking figures of the compulsory school (enrolment age, earlier and more flexible school enrolment, length of compulsory schooling period) and provides the educational standards that must be accomplished.

Responsibility of the Confederation

The Confederation issues regulations for the professional education system at the upper secondary level as well as the tertiary level and is responsible for the Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH) (including research promotion). The Confederation is also responsible for the universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen - FH). The Confederation and the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK) regulate the Matura recognition jointly. On a federal level, the Federal Department for Home Affairs (EDI) - and in particular the State Secretariat for Education and Research (SER) - are responsible for the following areas: Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH), university aid, scholarships, science and research as well as the reorganisation of the Swiss university system, in collaboration with the cantons and the universities. The Federal Department for Economics (EDV) or the Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology (BBT) regulates vocational education and the Federal Department for Defence, Civil Protection and Sports (VBS) or the Federal Office of Sports (BASPO) is responsible for sport.

Description of the Educational System in Switzerland

The education system in Switzerland is very diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the authority for the school system to the cantons (Article 62). The Swiss constitution sets the foundations, namely that primary school is obligatory for every child and is free in public schools and that the confederation can run or support universities. Swiss people have voted on May 21, 2006 to reform the education system in one common program for all the cantons. Because of its diversity, there are many private international schools in Switzerland that encourage respect for all cultures.

The minimum age for primary school is about six years in all cantons but Obwalden, where it is five years and three months. Any boy or girl can take part in school if they choose to, but kids are separated depending on whether they speak French, German or Italian. Primary school continues until grade four or five, depending on the school.

At the end of primary school (or at the beginning of secondary school), pupils are separated according to their capacities in several (often three) sections. The best students are taught advanced classes to be prepared for further studies and the matura, while students who assimilate a little bit more slowly receive an education more adapted to their needs. In PISA science literacy assessment, 15-year-old students in Switzerland had the 16th highest average score of 57 countries.

The first university in Switzerland was founded in 1460 in Basel, with a faculty of medicine. This place has a long tradition of chemical and medical research in Switzerland. Other large universities are the ETHZ in Zürich and the EPFL in Lausanne. There are 14 Universities in Switzerland, 10 of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer a range of non-technical subjects. Switzerland has the second highest rate of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia.

Many Nobel prizes were awarded to Swiss scientists, for example to the world-famous physicist Albert Einstein or more recently to Heinrich Rohrer also in the field of physics. Geneva host the world's largest particle physics laboratory, the CERN. An other important research center is the Paul Scherrer Institute which belongs to the ETHZ.

Primary

The obligatory school system usually includes primary education (Primarschule in German, école primaire in French and scuola primaria in Italian) and secondary education I (Sekundarstufe I in German, secondaire I in French and scuola secondaria in Italian). Before that, children usually go to kindergarten. The minimum age for primary school is about six years in all cantons but Obwalden, where it is five years and three months. The cantons Thurgau and Nidwalden allow five year olds to start primary school in exceptional cases. Primary school continues until grade four or five, depending on the school. Any boy or girl can take part in school if they choose to, but kids are separated depending on whether they speak French, German or Italian.

Secondary

At the end of primary school (or at the beginning of secondary school), pupils are separated according to their capacities in several (often three) sections. The best students are taught advanced classes to be prepared for further studies and the matura, while students who assimilate a little bit more slowly receive an education more adapted to their needs. This separation can be summarized as follows:

• Pre-gymnasium: this division aims to prepare the students for Gymnasium (German)/gymnase/collège/lycée (French)/liceo (Italian) or other schools which deliver a Federal maturity diploma. Students often have the choice between a science stream (with many hours of mathematics, and an introduction to physics and chemistry) and a more literary stream with Latin (and sometimes Greek).
• Intermediate: this division targets intermediate students whose goal it is to go to technical or secretarial schools, for example.
• Pre-professional: This division regroups students who are more interested in manual jobs, and prepares them for an apprenticeship by giving them strong bases in spelling, reading and mathematics.

The purpose of this system is to give every student an education that fits his or her needs and interests, but it is also criticized because it segregates children based on intellectual capacity. Secondary I school continues until grade nine, which marks the end of compulsory school.

Tertiary

Tertiary education depends on the education chosen in secondary education. For students with a matura, university is the most common one. Apprentices who did a vocational high school will often add a Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences) or a Höhere Fachschule (higher university of applied sciences) to their curriculum. Switzerland has the second highest rate of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia.

The Swiss higher education system is currently facing a tremdeous change. With the foundation of Fachhochschulen (Universities of Applied Scienes) and Pädagogische Hochschulen (teacher training colleagues) higher education has been diversified, thus expanding the existing offer. The declaration of Bologna includes a drastic change in the landscape of higher education in Switzerland in order to meet the common goals by the year 2010.

At the moment 10 cantonal universities take part of the higher education system of Switzerland (Neuenburg, Freiburg, Lausanne, Genf, Bern, Zürich, St. Gallen, Basel, Luzern, Svizzera italiana), two technichal universities (Lausanne und Zürich), the Pädagogische Hochschule St. Gallen and eight federally accredited Fachhochschulen (Bern, Suisse occidentale, Nordwestschweiz, Zentralschweiz, Ostschweiz, Zürich, Université professionnelle de la Suisse italienne und Kalaïdos). Moreover, some integrated Fachhochschule and a few non-integrated Pädagogische Fachhochschule also belong to the higher education system. Private Institutions are:

• SBS Swiss Business School
• European University (EU)
• Educatis University Switzerland

The Educatis University is accredited by the Swiss Canton of Uri.

• European Graduate School - EGS University The EGS University is accredited by the Swiss Canton of Valais.
• Zentrum fuer Agogik ZAK (Centre for Agogics)

The ZAK is accredited by the Dutch Validation Council (DVC) and by the Netherlands Quality Agency B.V.

Here you can find the Educational Statistics of 2006 of the swiss Federal Statistical Office (in English language).

Instituts of Higher Education

Universities of applied sciences

Since 1997 the Swiss higher education landscape has received a second university type in addition to the traditional universities. These are the universities of applied sciences (FH), originating from a concentration of around 70 specialist schools (technical schools, higher commercial schools, etc). The brief of the universities of applied sciences (FH) is to offer practical and application-orientated university-level studies for graduates of vocational education.

Universities of teacher education (PH) also belong to the universities of applied sciences (FH). They are responsible for the training of the teachers.

Main task and general conditions:

• The main assignment of the universities of applied sciences (FH) consists of diploma studies, further education (post diploma studies (ND) or the Master of Advanced Studies [MAS], post diploma courses (NDK), application orientated research and development, services for the benefit of third parties, co-operation with colleges and research institutes in Switzerland and abroad.
• The Swiss Conference of universities of applied sciences, affiliated to the Swiss Conference of the Cantonal Educational Minister (FHR EDK), is the strategic and political body for all matters concerning international co-operation with universities. It coordinates the development planning throughout Switzerland and works together with the Confederation.
• The Conference of the universities of applied sciences (KFH) represents the interests of the universities of applied sciences before the Confederation and the cantons as well as other educational and research political institutions. As a rectors' conference, it is a specialist body within the Swiss Conference of the Cantonal School Ministers (EDK) and maintains close links to the Federal Office for Vocational Training and Technologies (BBT), which regulates and jointly finances the universities of applied sciences (FH) at a Swiss level.

Also available: Size and geographical position of Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences in 2007 (PDF), 1 page

Universities

The cantonal universities offer courses in theology, humanities and social science, mathematics and natural science, law, economics, medicine and pharmaceuticals, the Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH) offer courses in natural and engineering science, architecture, mathematics, pharmaceutical science as well as sport and military science. 9251 university diplomas / degrees are expected were achieved in 2005.

7889 university diplomas were issued in 2005. In 2006 a total of 166,449 students attended a Swiss university facility, approx. two thirds of these attended a university and almost one third a university of applied sciences (FH).

The oldest university in Switzerland was founded in 1460 in Basel. Five of the ten cantonal universities are situated in the German-speaking part of Switzerland: the Universities of Basel, Bern, Lucerne, St. Gallen and Zurich. The University of Freiburg is located in the bilingual canton Freiburg (French and German). The Universities of Geneva, Lausanne and Neuchâtel are located in French-speaking Switzerland and the Università della Svizzera Italiana is situated in Ticino in the Italian-speaking part of the country. In addition there are the two Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH) in Lausanne and Zurich as well as the four research institutes belonging to the ETH domain: Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Federal Institute for Material Testing and Research (EMPA) and the Federal Research Institute for Water Supply, Wastewater Treatment and Water Pollution Control (EAWAG).

Also available: Situation and size of the "Universitäre Hochschulen" in Switzerland in 2007 (PDF), 1 page

The "Foundation Fernstudien Schweiz" and other Confederation-recognised universities

In addition to the higher education institutions mentioned above, there is also a private foundation for distance learning, "The Foundation Fernstudien Schweiz" which was recognised by the Confederation in 2004.

The following universities have also been recognised by the Confederation.

• Institut universitaire de hautes études internationales (HEI), Geneva
• Institut de hautes études en administration publique (IDHEAP), Lausanne
• Institut Universitaire Kurt Bösch (The Postgraduate University of the Canton of Valais), Sion

Core mandates and general requirements

• Among the core mandates of the universities (cantonale universities and the Federal Institutes of Technology) are teaching, research, and the provision of services.
• The universities have considerable academic, financial, and organisational autonomy. The Swiss University Conference (CUS) is entrusted with their national coordination.

Virtual learning Initiatives in Switzerland

Since 1992 the Canton Valais – situated in the Southwest of Switzerland – pursues as a non-university Canton an active university policy. One of the priorities is the promotion of distance teaching. For this purpose three institutions have been established in the last years:

• Foundation Fernstudien Schweiz (university distance programs)

• Fernfachhochschule Schweiz (distance programs for an university of applied science)

• Brain-tec Ltd. (Obtaining competencies within the IT area, technically services)

Since Switzerland as a small country will not build up a distance university of its own, a co-operation model was chosen.

The Foundation Fernstudien Schweiz has close co-operations with the FernUniversität in Hagen, the French universities of Besançon, Grenoble, Dijon and the Centre National d’Enseignement à Distance, the Canadian Télé-Université, and the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities.

In the area of the university of applied science exist co-operations with different distance teaching networks. As most important partners the following are to be called: The Institut für Verbundstudien der Fachhochschulen (institute for network studies of the universities of applied science) Northrhine-Westphalia Iserlohn, the Zentralstelle für Fernstudien an Fachhochschulen ZFH Koblenz (central office for distance teaching at the university of applied science) and the Fernstudienagentur FHTW, Berlin (distance teaching agency).

The Brain-tec Ltd. has in particular the function to lead both the Foundation Fernstudien Schweiz and the Swiss distance learning college from correspondence study to "Online study". To put this idea into action are being offered both services for the qualification of employees and technically services. Supplementary, professional training study programmes and services for third in the IT-sector are available.

By these activities all three institutions form a national competence centre within the area of distance study and distance teaching, which includes all educational sectors.

Besides this Swiss students of course can attend all programs of German, Italian, French or institutions of higher distance-education of other countries – depending on their language skills.

Important virtual learning opportunities in Switzerland

Table 1

Nr	Name	Institution	City	Type
1.	Fernfachhochschule Schweiz / Swiss Distance University of Applied Sciences (FFHS),	FFHS	Brig	Distance Learning.
2.	The Foundation Fernstudien Schweiz	The Foundation Fernstudien Schweiz	Brig	University distance programmes.
3.	Hochschulverbund Virtuelle Fachhochschule	Hochschulverbund Virtuelle Fachhochschule	Brig	University distance programmes in cooperation.

1) Since autumn 1998 the FFHS offers technical college courses for people in employment in the areas of economy, informatics and engineering according to the method of blended-learning. About 80 per cent of the education occurs in the accompanied correspondence courses; about 20 per cent of the time the students spent in one of the regional centres in Zurich, Bern, Basel or Brig. This study form – a combination of different forms of electronic learning with traditional education- and continuing-education methods and direct practise relation – closes a gap in the Swiss training system: The FFHS trains higher certified occupational people without taking them away from the job market.

Since 2004 the Fernfachhochschule Schweiz is a part of the Scuola Universitaria profession ale della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI) approved by the Bundesrat. So it is integrated into the whole strategy of the SUPSI. The offer of the SUPSI is aimed traditionally on the Italian language area of Switzerland. Now with her partial school the SUPSI has got a foot in the door of German-speaking Switzerland. Besides it profits from the correspondence course competence of the FFHS.

Approximately 600 students are enrolled at the FFHS. The number of students is rising. In May 2008 201 people had registred newly for bachelor- or master-degrees.

On average two saturdays a months students (depending on there home-region) meet in regional centres Zürich, Bern, Basel or Brig for attendance-courses. For this two-week-model it comes to a dilatation of the academic year: A "Semester" (term) starts around one month before a Semester in a typical full-time-Fachhochschule and takes 18 weeks instead of 15. Students of the FFHS start their studies with 29 years of age in average, 40 per cent of them are married, and only 27 per cent are female. Most are living close to Zürich.

2) 1318 students (1571 including continuing education) were studying with the Foundation Fernstudien Schweiz in 2007; 955 in German language, 363 in French. The Foundation has got close cooperations with other Swiss and European universities (see above). It runs own bachelor-programs in Swiss Law, psychology and economics and many more in cooperation with German an French universities, especially with the FernUniversität in Hagen. There are study-centres in Brig, Pfäffikon and Sierre.

3) The “virtual” network of universities of applied sciences "Hochschulverbund Virtuelle Fachhochschule" (VFH) offers two online-study-programs since winter-term 2001/2002: „Medieninformatik“ (media informatics) and "Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen" (industrial engineering and management).

At the moment seven German universities of applied sciences (from different “Länder”) make part of the alliance as well as two associated institutions – one of them is the Fernfachhochschule Brig (see above).

References

http://edkwww.unibe.ch/e/eurydice/framesets/mainBildungCH_e.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Switzerland

http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/15.html

http://www.educa.ch/dyn/152941.asp

http://www.fernuni-hagen.de/ICDE/D-2001/gdl_day/gruenwald/index.html

See also links in the text.

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