Educational systems can vary drastically from country to country. Switzerland is in a class of its own in relation to how it runs its educational system. No country runs their educational system quite like Switzerland, largely in part due to how the country itself is divided. Switzerland is made up of twenty-six different cantons, or member states. Each of these member states has their own constitution, parliament, laws, and court system. The Swiss have a few more educational levels than countries such as the United States and Canada. Switzerland is also one of the world leaders in public expenditures on education; in 2008, public expenditures totaled just over $29.09 billion USD for education (Federal Dept. of Foreign Affairs, 2010). This expenditure amount shows the dedication that Switzerland has to its people and their education, and the consistently high national ranking shows that they are not just investing a lot of money in education, but they are not wasting money either.

The twenty-six cantons will always be accountable for the education system whenever the particular responsibility does not belong to the Swiss Confederation. As noted by educa (2011), “The responsibilities of the Confederation apply to post-compulsory education: with regard to Baccalaureate schools, vocational and professional education and training, and tertiary level A institutions, the Confederation and the cantons are partners, sharing responsibility for the public education system. The municipalities perform various tasks, particularly regarding compulsory education and pre-school.” The cantons themselves have several different sub-departments within the school system. Each canton has a minister of education who oversees the department of education. The department of education performs several administrative and executive tasks. The cantons often work jointly to solve issues that may more prevalent throughout Switzerland.

Switzerland’s educational system consists of six different educational systems. These education levels are in order as follows: pre-school, primary level education, lower-secondary education, upper-secondary education (Baccalaureate schools and upper-secondary specialized schools), tertiary level education (cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences, universities of teacher education), and continuing education (educa, 2011). All of Switzerland allows for one to two years of free pre-school education. Obligatory learning begins at age six and continues until the child is fifteen. Switzerland allows students to attend either a vocational and apprenticeship opportunity or for the academic route, which eventually leads to attending a university. The vocational and apprenticeship option normally takes around four years to complete and include three hundred different professions. One interesting side note is that students have no option but to learn at least two languages apart from their native Swiss language, setting the stage for its students to succeed on both a national and global scale.

Primary, or elementary schooling, lasts between four and six years depending on which canton you reside in. Primary school generally begins around age six and lasts an average of five years. In primary schools, it is normal for a teacher to be given a very considerable amount of freedom to in planning their curriculum within the framework of the specific schooling laws and regulations set forth to the public by the regional cantonal. As illustrated on Unikom’s website (2013), “the aims of primary school are: to provide sufficient knowledge of the mother tongue; arithmetic and geography to a basic level and as the foundation for attending higher schools; to encourage the artistic and creative development of the child through singing, drawing and handwork lessons; physical education; training in social behavior.” Parents have the option to send their children to private schools rather than primary schools, but 95% of the Swiss population chooses to send their children to public schools at no cost to them.

Secondary education proceeds the primary education phase. There are two types of secondary education: lower Secondary and upper Secondary. It is obligatory for all students in Switzerland to complete schooling until a minimum of fifteen years of age. It is at this point that all students are divided according to their career preferences. Academically oriented students will enter high school and must pass an examination to complete high school; this exam is known as a Matura. The Matura also serves as the foundation for being accepted into a university. Students may opt for vocational schooling as well rather than take the academic route. Students in vocational school will be ready to work more quickly than other students as they will have already served an apprenticeship and are considered work ready.

Once a student has completed their lower secondary education, they move on to the upper Secondary education, which includes either a technical or vocational school, or attending one of the federal or cantonal universities. Though not obligatory, the majority of students often choose to further their education. Students will choose what they would prefer to study. There are six choices for students to choose from for their career path; included in these choices are: math and science, modern languages, classical languages, secondary school of economics, secondary school of music and art, and secondary school of sports. Upon completion of the upper Secondary curriculum, the next step a student can take is to attend tertiary schools. Tertiary schools include the cantonal and federal universities. There are two separate types of universities in Switzerland. The first of these are the traditional universities, known as Federal Institutes of Technology. The Federal Institutes of Technology are owned and ran by officials of the Swiss federal government, based in the cities of Zurich and Lausanne. The Zurich located university is consistently ranked among the world in the entire world and has been associated with twenty-one Nobel Prize winners; among the winners include the likes of Albert Einstein and Richard Ernst (ETH Zurich, 2013). It is worth noting that the Swiss inventor of dynamite, Alfred Nobel, founded the Nobel Foundation in 1901. There are also ten cantonal universities to choose from in Switzerland. As mentioned by the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education, also knows as the EDK, the Swiss education system has two distinct features. The first of these features is permeability; there are several ways to either enter or transfer programs or schools and students can even attend a training program aimed for students to catch up on their coursework. The second of these proud distinctions is that there are so many open avenues for educational opportunities in Switzerland. This means that any one individual with the correct qualifications can attend any course of their choice, along with the university of their choice as well. Vocational education and access to medical schools are limited to a certain extent as well (EDK).

As one can tell, Switzerland has a very robust educational system that far surpasses that of many countries. The Swiss educational system is certainly an outstanding one and many countries should take note as to how well off Switzerland has been and will continue succeeding in preparing their youth for a better and brighter future, whether it be through the means of attending a vocational school to learn a trade or by going to a prestigious university such as the Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich. It is amazing to see all of Switzerland thriving in regards to education despite the fact the schools are ran by each individual canton within the country. Switzerland is truly in a class of its own in relation to how it runs its educational system and prepares its students for the real world on both a national and global scale.

Bibliography

http://swisseducation.educa.ch/en/swiss-education-system-3 http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/doc/infoch/chwoed.html http://www.edk.ch/dyn/16342.php http://www.ethz.ch/about/index_EN http://www.switzerland-4you.com/news/2004/17_swiss-primary-school.htm