Cantonal School Systems
While compulsory schooling in Switzerland is 9 years long, many of the specifics of the system vary by canton. In most cases, the primary level lasts 6 years, and the lower secondary level 3 years. In only a few cantons, the primary level lasts 4 or 5 years and entrance to the lower secondary level thus occurs either in school year 5 (duration: 5 years) or school year 6 (duration: 4 years). In more than half of the cantons, it is compulsory to attend pre-school. In almost all cantons, the municipalities are obliged to provide pre-school classes.
This table shows the school system for 2009/2010 and how the lower secondary schools are organized:
| Canton | Years of Kindergarten |
Years of Kindergarten provided | Years of Kindergarten legally required | Length of Primary School | Length of mandatory Secondary School | Separate Secondary Schools? | Cooperative Secondary Schools? | Integrated Secondary Schools? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zurich | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | Yes | No | No |
| Bern | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lucerne | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Uri | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | No | No | Yes |
| Schwyz | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | No | No | Yes |
| Obwalden | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | No | No | Yes |
| Nidwalden | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | No | No | Yes |
| Glarus | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Zug | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | No | No | Yes |
| Fribourg | 2 | 1 or 2 | 0 or 2 | 6 | 3 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Solothurn | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Basel-Stadt | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | Yes | No | No |
| Basel-Landschaft | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | Yes | No | No |
| Schaffhausen | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | No | No | Yes |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Appenzell Innerrhoden | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| St. Gallen | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | No | No | Yes |
| Graubünden | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | Yes | No | No |
| Aargau | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | Yes | No | No |
| Thurgau | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | Yes | No | No |
| Ticino | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 4 | Yes | No | No |
| Vaud | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | Yes | No | No |
| Valais | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | Yes | No | No |
| Neuchâtel | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | Yes | No | No |
| Geneva | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | Yes | No | No |
| Jura | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | Yes | No | No |
Read more about this topic: Education In Switzerland
Famous quotes containing the words school and/or systems:
“Children in home-school conflict situations often receive a double message from their parents: “The school is the hope for your future, listen, be good and learn” and “the school is your enemy. . . .” Children who receive the “school is the enemy” message often go after the enemy—act up, undermine the teacher, undermine the school program, or otherwise exercise their veto power.”
—James P. Comer (20th century)
“We have done scant justice to the reasonableness of cannibalism. There are in fact so many and such excellent motives possible to it that mankind has never been able to fit all of them into one universal scheme, and has accordingly contrived various diverse and contradictory systems the better to display its virtues.”
—Ruth Benedict (1887–1948)