National characteristics

The education system reflects the way Switzerland is organised politically. In accordance with Switzerland’s federal structure, the tasks of the education system are shared between three political levels, i.e. the confederation, the cantons and the municipalities, which work together in their respective areas of responsibility to ensure high quality in the education system.

Characteristics of the Swiss education system

The principle of subsidiarity plays a key role: the superior level only passes regulations or undertakes corresponding tasks if the subordinate level is not in a position to do so. The education system is characterised by a high degree of anchoring in local areas, cantons and

linguistic regions. The main responsibility for education lies with the cantons. There is no ministry of education at a national level. The tasks of the Confederation in education are performed by the Federal Department for Home Affairs (EDI) (via the State Secretariat for

Education and Research [SER]) and by the Federal Department for Economics (via the Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology [OPET]).

Responsibilities

Important key parameters in education are uniformly regulated, either on a nationwide or inter-cantonal basis. The cantons are responsible for the education system wherever the Federal Constitution does not stipulate that the Confederation is responsible. Each canton has its own legal regulations for education.

The responsibility for legal implementation, execution, supervision and financing varies depending on the type of educational level and the respective educational institution.

Cantonal responsibility

The primary responsibility for education lies within the cantons: Each canton has its own legal regulations for education. Essentially, the cantonal school laws or education laws in all 26 cantons are based on the same foundations and comprise similar objectives.

Federal responsibility

Wherever the Confederation has legislative authority according to the Federal Constitution, the Confederation passes the legal regulations and entrusts the cantons with their implementation. The revision of the education regulations in the Federal Constitution provides a constitutional legal basis for inter-cantonal cooperation and for cooperation between the cantons and the Confederation.

Municipal responsibilities

The cantons share responsibility for the oversight of compulsory education with the municipalities: They can transfer various powers to the municipalities. In particular, the municipalities assume various capacities at the pre-school, primary and lower secondary levels.

Supervision and funding of compulsory education schools, in particular primary schools, lies generally with the municipalities. However, the cantons are alone responsible for the supervision and funding of general education at upper secondary level.

Cantonal universities

There are ten cantonal universities that are under the responsibility of the cantons and which receive additional funding from the Confederation and from those cantons which do not have their own university.