In Switzerland, in the 2003/2004 school year, 50,431 pupils attended schools with a special needs curriculum: this includes pupils in special needs classes at the primary and lower secondary levels as well as pupils in special needs schools recognized by the invalidity insurance scheme. The majority of pupils (about two-thirds) in special needs schools have learning disabilities. That is about 6.6% of all pupils at the primary and lower secondary levels (2.2 to 10.3% of all pupils attend special needs schools, depending on the canton).

 

Additional Data
The proportion of girls and young women in special needs schools is 37.8%; the proportion of foreign pupils is 45.7%. There is an average of 9.2 pupils per class (7-13 pupils, depending on the canton). 1.6% of the special needs schools are unsubsidized private schools.

Financing
The costs for early childhood special needs education are covered largely by federal invalidity insurance.
The costs for schools with a special needs curriculum amount to CHF 850.8 million per year (0% federal government, 46.6% cantons, and 53.4% municipalities). That represents about 4% of all public educational expenditure. However, the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (SFSO) figures do not consider the invalidity insurance contributions. According to the invalidity insurance statistics published in 2004, the total educational expenditures for 2003 amounted to CHF 360.9 million (Federal Social Insurance Office data).