A Humorous Guide to Switzerland

Apprentices - Paul-Georg Meister / pixelio.de Imagine the following fictional conversation between a young Swiss and a young American. (S = Swiss, A = American) S: What do you do for a living? A: I'm a consultant in one of the larger banks here in Switzerland. S: Interesting. How did you get this job? A: Well, after finishing grad school I worked for an American bank for a while before applying for this position. I wanted to get some international experience, you know?! S: Good for you! A: What about you? Where do you work? S: I'm an accountant. Small firm but interesting work. A: Ok. So, you got your bachelors degree at a local university and then started working? S: Not quite. Actually, I didn't go to university at all. I didn't even finished high school. Instead, I did an apprenticeship . A: A what? And you didn't finish high school? S: Indeed! Apprenticeships in Switzerland The concept of an apprenticeship is quite a foreign concept to peopl...

When writing (and talking) about the Swiss education system, there is one part of it that is fairly easy to explain to a foreigner: university and other higher education. This is mainly due to the fact that in the last 10-15 years, Swiss university education has been adapted to international standards and norms. How to Enter a Swiss University One of the biggest differences between Swiss universities and American universities (and universities in other places around the globe) is that t here is normally no entrance exam or the need to formally apply. If you successfully passed your Matura exams you are free to inscribe to any university in Switzerland. The big exception is the field of human medicine which requires an entrance exam called Numerus Clausus. Also, Technical Universities usually require at least one year of work experience in a relevant field before they receive applicants with a Matura certificate. Degrees Available at Swiss Universities A lot of university relat...

The initial years of public schooling in Switzerland - kindergarten and primary school - are still (fairly) straightforward and probably very similar to what exists in other countries. The whole things gets more complicated for older children. Education Differences in Secondary and Middle School As you may know, Switzerland is divided into 26 districts called cantons . According to Swiss law it is the cantons, and not the federal government, that are responsible for a functioning public school system. This leads to a few interesting differences from canton to canton. For example the years it takes a student to reach the Matura (Swiss university entrance qualification) vary significantly from canton to canton. In some places of Switzerland it takes 10 years and in others 12 years. However, it is not only a difference in years but also in the structures and names of the schools a student passes through on his way to the Matura or before starting his apprenticeship (which is a grea...

kindergarten -  birgitH  / pixelio.de Every country has it's own schooling system. Some countries may have fairly similar systems such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland or the US and Canada (correct my if I'm wrong here!).  Almost all countries do by now have some law which requires children to attend some kind of school. Needless to say, that the years of actual schooling and the quality of teaching vary greatly in different places around the globe. Early Education in Switzerland Switzerland is well known internationally for its high quality public schools. However, in Switzerland there are also quite a few quirks when it comes to public schooling. Here are some examples: The Swiss constitution stipulates that every child has the right to education but not that every child must attend public (or private) school. This decision is left with each canton which means that there are some cantons in Switzerland where homeschooling is permitted and s...