Primary Level: What is new?
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Reform projects
The Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK) plans to harmonise of the nationwide compulsory school system via the HarmoS project. This should improve the overall quality of schooling and ensure an optimisation of inter-cantonal mobility. The HarmoS project (2003 - 2007 / 2008) encompasses the development and regulation of the competency models and the minimum standards for certain core subjects (native language, foreign language, mathematics and science) at the end of the second, sixth and ninth schooling year. The binding regulations for the standards of education are to be regulated in a new inter-cantonal agreement. This inter-cantonal agreement will also apply new regulations to key parameters of the compulsory schools such as the school enrolment age, earlier and more flexible enrolment or the duration of the compulsory schooling period. Projects aiming to make school enrolment more flexible are already being carried out in numerous cantons (see basic and elementary level).
The Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK) plans to harmonise of the nationwide compulsory school system via the HarmoS project. This should improve the overall quality of schooling and ensure an optimisation of inter-cantonal mobility. The HarmoS project (2003 - 2007 / 2008) encompasses the development and regulation of the competency models and the minimum standards for certain core subjects (native language, foreign language, mathematics and science) at the end of the second, sixth and ninth schooling year. The binding regulations for the standards of education are to be regulated in a new inter-cantonal agreement. This inter-cantonal agreement will also apply new regulations to key parameters of the compulsory schools such as the school enrolment age, earlier and more flexible enrolment or the duration of the compulsory schooling period. Projects aiming to make school enrolment more flexible are already being carried out in numerous cantons (see basic and elementary level).
Language tuition
The coordinated further development of language classes includes early and consistent promotion of the pupils' native language skills and providing a solid basis in a second national language and in English, with the possibility of learning a third national language.
The Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK) has decided to introduce a first foreign language from the third school year at the latest and a second from the fifth school year at the latest as a long term goal of foreign language tuition. The foreign language repertoire thus consists of a compulsory second national language and a further foreign language, which as a rule will be Engish.Depending on the situation of the canton in question, the implementation of the EDK language resolution will begin in 2010 or 2012 at the latest. The sequence of the foreign languages is regulated by the Regional Conference of the EDK.
Quality assurance
Numerous cantons carry out self-evaluation projects for quality assurance in the fields of compulsory schools: Specific evaluation instruments enable the teachers to evaluate the learning progress of the one class to that of other classes.
Curriculum
Most of the cantons have revised their curricula for the lower secondary level in recent years. New curricula are characterised by an increasingly binding nature, with precise statements made concerning the expected performance of the pupils.
In Western Switzerland, a framework curriculum has been developed that aims to harmonise the Western Swiss curricula. The "Plan d'études cadre romand" (PECARO) defines the goals in the form of competences and specifies minimum expectations of the pupils and the schools. PECARO formulates the goals for the pre-school level and compulsory school. Different versions of this framework plan are foreseen for teachers, developers of teaching aids and curricula, as well as parents.
In German-speaking Switzerland, a discussion has been initiated regarding whether or not a common curriculum should be developed for the primary schools in German-speaking Switzerland.
Basic and elementary level
In Switzerland, a discussion is underway regarding a more flexible transfer from the pre-school level to primary school and the reorganisation of the entry phase of the school. The basic or elementary level has been developed for children between four and eight years of age. The age of entry and the age when leaving for the first school levels are flexible and take into account the development status of the children. Depending on the model, two Kindergarten years are combined with the first two primary level years (basis level: -2/+2) or the first two Kindergarten years are merged with the first primary level year basis level: 2/+1).
Recommendation
In August 2000, The Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK) issued the "First Recommendation for Education of Children between Four and Eight Years of Age in Switzerland". Amongst other points, the document stated the following:
The coordinated further development of language classes includes early and consistent promotion of the pupils' native language skills and providing a solid basis in a second national language and in English, with the possibility of learning a third national language.
The Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK) has decided to introduce a first foreign language from the third school year at the latest and a second from the fifth school year at the latest as a long term goal of foreign language tuition. The foreign language repertoire thus consists of a compulsory second national language and a further foreign language, which as a rule will be Engish.Depending on the situation of the canton in question, the implementation of the EDK language resolution will begin in 2010 or 2012 at the latest. The sequence of the foreign languages is regulated by the Regional Conference of the EDK.
Quality assurance
Numerous cantons carry out self-evaluation projects for quality assurance in the fields of compulsory schools: Specific evaluation instruments enable the teachers to evaluate the learning progress of the one class to that of other classes.
Curriculum
Most of the cantons have revised their curricula for the lower secondary level in recent years. New curricula are characterised by an increasingly binding nature, with precise statements made concerning the expected performance of the pupils.
In Western Switzerland, a framework curriculum has been developed that aims to harmonise the Western Swiss curricula. The "Plan d'études cadre romand" (PECARO) defines the goals in the form of competences and specifies minimum expectations of the pupils and the schools. PECARO formulates the goals for the pre-school level and compulsory school. Different versions of this framework plan are foreseen for teachers, developers of teaching aids and curricula, as well as parents.
In German-speaking Switzerland, a discussion has been initiated regarding whether or not a common curriculum should be developed for the primary schools in German-speaking Switzerland.
Basic and elementary level
In Switzerland, a discussion is underway regarding a more flexible transfer from the pre-school level to primary school and the reorganisation of the entry phase of the school. The basic or elementary level has been developed for children between four and eight years of age. The age of entry and the age when leaving for the first school levels are flexible and take into account the development status of the children. Depending on the model, two Kindergarten years are combined with the first two primary level years (basis level: -2/+2) or the first two Kindergarten years are merged with the first primary level year basis level: 2/+1).
Recommendation
In August 2000, The Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK) issued the "First Recommendation for Education of Children between Four and Eight Years of Age in Switzerland". Amongst other points, the document stated the following:
 | that the cantons must carry out coordination trials on the basic and elementary level; |
| the basic or elementary level should last until the end of the second primary school year at the most; |
| admission to the basic or elementary level occurs two years before the current beginning of compulsory education at the earliest; |
| that aspects concerning the encouragement and promotion of children with needs and talents as well as didactical innovations are integrated into the school development concepts on the basic or elementary level. |
Core time
The majority of the cantons wish to introduce the core times as an experiment or definitively introduce blocks of at least three hours on at least five mornings either in individual municipalities or throughout the canton n analogy to the pre-school level.
The majority of the cantons wish to introduce the core times as an experiment or definitively introduce blocks of at least three hours on at least five mornings either in individual municipalities or throughout the canton n analogy to the pre-school level.
