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The following reforms of compulsory education also apply to the lower secondary level:

For the member cantons, the inter-cantonal agreement on the harmonisation of compulsory education (HarmoS Concordat; in effect since 1 August 2009; implementation by school year 2015 / 2016 at the latest) will lead to a harmonisation of objectives and structures in compulsory education and will entail the following changes on the lower secondary level: standardisation of cantonal school structures (8 years at primary level, including pre-school, and 3 years at the lower secondary level), introduction of nationally binding educational standards, cooperation on curricula and teaching material within linguistic regions, coordination and further development of language teaching, and provision of all-day structures to meet requirements.
Increasing heterogeneity of school classes. Primarily in performance-based groups at basic level or special classes, the composition is very heterogeneous. Foreign-language pupils are not to be allocated to classes on a lower level, or to special classes, solely because of a lack of knowledge of the teaching language.
In accordance with the Federal Law on Overcoming the Inequalities Affecting Disabled Persons and in keeping with the inter-cantonal agreement on cooperation in special needs education (Special Needs Education Concordat), children with special needs are to be integrated into ordinary schools. Projects for the integration of pupils with special needs are underway in cantons and municipalities. On the other hand, the proportion of children in special classes and special schools, and thus the demand for separative courses, has continually increased since 1980.

In 2008, special needs education of children and adolescents became the responsibility of the cantons, which is leading to changes in compulsory education and requires coordination between the cantons (see special needs education).
The schools are increasingly being granted more room to manoeuvre and are participating in quality development and quality assurance.

Reform projects on the lower secondary level

Many adolescents find the transfer from lower secondary level to upper secondary level difficult. Various cantons are implementing projects for the final year of the lower secondary level, so as to provide adolescents with the best possible preparation for their transfer to the upper secondary level. These projects comprise the following methods: final assignments, project teaching, compilation of performance profiles for individual skill, and specific correction of learning deficiencies. Within this framework, numerous cantons are adapting the content and methods in their career guidance and vocational preparation classes.

The "Nahtstelle" project

In the "Nahtstelle" project, cantons, the Confederation and professional organisations are jointly addressing optimisation of the transfer from compulsory education to the upper secondary level and have developed guidelines for the optimisation of this transition point. The aims of these guidelines include the improvement of the process of choosing a career, better coordination between the requirements of the lower secondary level and those of the upper secondary level, early identification and support of problem groups already in compulsory education, and clarification of the function and role of courses to bridge gaps in training.

Structured process (case management)

In this context, the Confederation supports cantons, which introduce a structured process (case management) in order to ensure adequate measures for young people whose entry to the working world is greatly jeopardised. These measures can be realised when a career is being chosen, during the transfer from compulsory education to the upper secondary level, and during basic vocational education and training. The cantons have developed concepts with which to identify jeopardised young people at an early stage and to include them in a structured support process. As of 2008, the cantons have begun to implement these concepts.