Educational policy system background
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The responsibilities of the educational areas in Switzerland are subdivided between the Confederation, cantons and the municipalities. There is no ministry for education at national level. The main responsibility for education lies with the cantons.
Characteristics of the Swiss education system
As a whole, the characteristics for the educational and political system are:
As a whole, the characteristics for the educational and political system are:
 | federalism (sovereignty of the cantons) |
| decentralisation (importance of the responsibilities of the cantons and municipalities) |
| the subsidiarity of the state measures (i.e. the principle is that superior levels such as the Confederation or cantons can only pass regulations or undertake tasks where the subordinate levels are not in a position to do so), |
| and the semi-direct democracy (national referendum, ballot initiatives, referendums). |
Educational levels and categories
The Swiss educational system comprises the following educational levels or categories:
The Swiss educational system comprises the following educational levels or categories:
| Pre-school |
| Primary school |
| Lower secondary Level |
| Upper secondary level: The upper secondary level comprises vocational education and further general education (specialised middle schools (Fachmittelschulen - FMS) and Matura schools). |
| Tertiary level: The tertiary level consists of higher vocational training and universities. Higher vocational education comprises the professional and higher specialist examinations as well as the higher specialist schools (Höhere Fachschulen; HF). The universities are divided into the universities proper (cantonal universities and Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology) and the universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen - FH), which include the universities for art and music and teacher training universities (Pädagogische Hochschulen - PH). |
| Quartary levels: Further education |
| Special education. |
| Education statistics by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office |
 | Key numbers |
| Public expenses on education |
 | Reforms primary school level |
| Reforms lower secondary level |
| Reforms upper secondary level - vocational education |
| Reforms upper secondary level - intermediate diploma schools |
| Reforms upper secondary level - Matura schools |
| Reforms tertiary level - higher vocational training |
| Reforms tertiary level - universities of applied sciences |
| Reforms tertiary level - teacher training universities |
| Reforms tertiary level - universities |
| Responsible institutions in the Swiss education system |
