Children enter Primary school at six years of age at the earliest. School attendance is obligatory and free of charge for all children.
One of the main goals of Primary school is to attain a balanced relationship between social, personal and technical abilities. The cantons, in cooperation with the municipalities, are responsible for the organization and financing of the Primary schools. Principally, children attend the school in their place of residence.
The Primary school lasts six years in 20 of the cantons and in the other cantons four or five years. In comparison to the lower secondary level, children at the primary level are not divided into types of schools with achievement groups.