Developments

The Swiss Council for Universities of Applied Sciences, affiliated to the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK), issued guidelines for the implementation of the Bologna Declaration at the universities of applied sciences and the universities of teacher education on 5 December 2002. These guidelines have ensured Swiss-wide coordination of the extensive study reforms initiated throughout Europe by the Bologna Declaration of 1999. In 2005, the recognition regulations were altered accordingly, so as to put in place the formal preconditions for changing the teacher education courses into Bachelor and Master courses. Implementation of the Bologna Reform has proceeded very quickly and with regard to the education of pre-school and primary school teachers, the implementation is complete. All study courses are to be converted to the new 2-tier study system, by 2010.

The universities of teacher education are also to be integrated into the reform of the Swiss higher education landscape and into the overall governance of higher education (cantonal universities and Federal Institutes of Technology, universities of applied sciences, universities of teacher education). Accordingly, the universities of teacher education are to be included in the future Federal Law on the Advancement of Universities and Coordination in Swiss Higher Education, whereby they will continue to be financed solely by the cantons.