Until now, compulsory education has been 9 years in length, subdivided into the primary level and the lower secondary level. In most cases, the primary level lasts 6 years, and the lower secondary level 3 years. In only a few cantons, the primary level lasts 4 or 5 years and entrance to the lower secondary level thus occurs either in school year 5 (duration: 5 years) or school year 6 (duration: 4 years). In more than half of the cantons, it is compulsory to attend pre-school. In almost all cantons, the municipalities are obliged to provide pre-school classes. In fact, the vast majority of children attend the public pre-schools, which are free of charge.

 

While compulsory education is about to face significant reforms and challenges, pre-school is also being incorporated within it:

Compulsory pre-school attendance
In more than half of the cantons, it is either already compulsory to attend pre-school, or a compulsory pre-school attendance scheme is planned. In the course of the harmonisation of compulsory education (HarmoS), 2 years of compulsory pre-school attendance are envisaged (and thus the extension of compulsory education to 11 years).

Harmonisation of compulsory education (HarmoS)
The inter-cantonal agreement on the harmonisation of compulsory education (HarmoS Concordat) governs certain key parameters nationwide and will lead to harmonisation of compulsory education. The HarmoS Concordat came into effect on 1 August 2009. It applies to those cantons which have joined it. From this date onwards, a six-year transitional period is in place. The member cantons shall implement the content of the HarmoS Concordat by the beginning of school year 2015 / 2016 at the latest.

For the member cantons, the HarmoS Concordat will bring about the following changes:

 

 

For cooperation with regard to the HarmoS Concordat and for other areas of coordination (e.g. skill and performance assessments / evaluation of pupils, training and continuing education of teachers etc.), the French-speaking cantons have established a convention: the Convention scolaire romande.

Language teaching
In a multilingual country, the coordination of language teaching is particularly important. In March 2004, the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK) adopted a national strategy for further development of language teaching. This strategy aims to realise early and consistent promotion of pupils' language skills in their first national language and the provision of a solid basis in a second national language as well as English, with the possibility of learning a third national language. The most important content of the strategy is incorporated into the inter-cantonal agreement on the harmonisation of compulsory education (HarmoS Concordat), according to which, 2 foreign languages (a second national language and English) are to be taught already on the primary level. The first foreign language begins in the third school year at the latest and the second foreign language begins in the fifth school year at the latest (if counted according to the new school structures as defined by the HarmoS Concordat: first foreign language: fifth school year; second foreign language: seventh school year). The question of which language is to be taught first is coordinated regionally. Regardless of the beginnings, comparable knowledge of both foreign languages is to be achieved by the end of compulsory education. The objectives are defined via the national educational standards. The cantons have begun to implement this language resolution. Teaching in the first foreign language is to be introduced by 2010 at the latest and teaching of the second foreign language no later than 2012. The cantonal language concept of the canton Ticino deviates from these specifications and envisages compulsory teaching in 3 foreign languages (German, French and English) during compulsory education.

Block teaching and all-day structures
Block teaching and all-day structures represent the cantons' response to the requirements arising from situations in which both parents work and from the increase in single-parent families.
Block teaching applies to school organisation and contribute to a simplification of family childcare and to simplified organisation of childcare services provided outside of the school. Block teaching combines lesson times in larger time blocks. The lessons are bundled, to form complete half-days. Different block teaching models are implemented according to the local conditions and requirements (e.g. different extension times). With comprehensive block teaching, the pupils are in the care of the school on 5 mornings for at least 3½ hours (or during 4 lessons) and, depending on age and on the allocation of hours per subject, receive tuition on 1 to 4 afternoons. Most cantons have schools with comprehensive block teaching. However, only in a minority of cantons does this apply to all schools in the canton.
All-day structures include childcare services outside of the family for children and adolescents. In many cantons and municipalities, projects and political efforts are underway, with the purpose of establishing all-day structures to suit requirements. With all-day structures in compulsory education, the pupils are cared for outside lesson times. These all-day structures include all-day schools or childcare services which supplement the schooling, such as supervised midday catering, homework supervision, a range of supervised free-time activities, or supervision during arrival times. While supervised midday catering is provided in the vast majority of cantons, all-day schools are not particularly widespread on the whole. Generally, only a few such schools are available in each canton. Only in the canton Ticino are there a significant number of all-day schools.

School entry level: Grundstufe and Basisstufe
It is becoming increasingly commonplace for pre-school and the first primary school years to be considered as a single unit, in which the children's development of competences and skills is aided according to their developmental status and requirements. In several cantons there are pilot projects on a flexible school entry level underway, in which the pre-school years are combined with the first primary school years (Grundstufe and Basisstufe). On the Grundstufe, the 2 pre-school years are combined with the first primary school year; on the Basisstufe, the 2 pre-school years are combined with the first 2 years of primary school. The transition within these levels occurs flexibly, according to the developmental status of the child. This can be realised over a shorter or longer period of time. The classes are mixed-age classes, managed by 2 teachers.
The inter-cantonal agreement on the harmonisation of compulsory education (HarmoS Concordat) does not prescribe the manner in which the first school years are organised. The member cantons can select the model themselves (kindergarten or Basisstufe / Grundstufe). However, regardless of the organisational model, it must be possible for a child to go through these first school years more quickly or more slowly, according to their developmental status.

Heterogeneity
School classes are becoming increasingly heterogeneous: pupils with different social, linguistic and cultural backgrounds, or with different talents and special education needs, visit the same school, whereupon the school performs an important integrative function. Heterogeneous classes pose new challenges for the school and make it necessary to provide differentiated and individualised teaching.

Special needs education
In 2008, due to the new organisation of financial equalisation and tasks between the Confederation and the cantons, special needs education of children and adolescents (regulation, organisation and financing thereof) became the responsibility of the cantons. This is also leading to changes in compulsory education and requires coordination between the cantons (see inter-cantonal agreement on cooperation in special needs education [Special Needs Education Concordat]).

Quality development and quality assurance
Various cantonal efforts for quality development and quality assurance are being realised in compulsory education. On the one hand, the individual schools' capacity to act is being extended, head teachers are being appointed, and school-internal evaluation and quality assurance concepts are becoming more significant, while on the other hand, the supervision of schooling is undergoing reform, especially in the German-speaking cantons. With these reforms, specialised centres for school supervision or external evaluation bodies can be established.