Background

An Educational Resource

Since Switzerland has no natural resources, education and knowledge have become one of its most valuable assets. Switzerland can boast of having one of the world's best education systems, free to both native Swiss and its large population of immigrants. Teachers are highly paid, so the country attracts high-quality teaching staff.

There is no national government agency responsible for education, as each canton is responsible for its own educational services from kindergarten through university, including being responsible for 90 percent of school funding, and therefore, education may vary significantly between cantons. For example, some cantons start to teach the first foreign language in fourth grade, at about age 10, while others start in seventh grade. This can turn moving with children between cantons into a nightmare situation.

There are eleven universities in Switzerland, nine run by the cantons, and two run by the confederation. Universities are currently implementing reforms in line with the Bologna Declaration, which was signed by 32 countries, including Switzerland, in 1999, aiming to harmonise the degrees in European universities in a bid to make it easier for students to study and work abroad. The reforms are also aimed at creating a "European space for higher education" by 2010 with the introduction of a bachelor-masters system, to ensure international compatibility. A bachelor’s degree will take three years, and a master’s degree a further two.