Sun, 8 November 2009
A century and a quarter after a cutler set out to supply Swiss soldiers with a survival tool, the Swiss Army knife adapts to the urban jungle.
Read Jessica of Swisstory's adventure in obtaining her Swiss driver's licence, with helpful checklist.
Expatica reader Carolyn Moncel searches for the best salons in Paris and Switzerland serving black women.
| Index | Last | Var.(%) |
|---|---|---|
| BEL 20 | 2119.3 | 0.50 |
| DAX | 5252.45 | 1.50 |
| IBEX 30 | 10726.8 | 0.59 |
| CAC 40 | 3377.59 | 1.40 |
| FTSE 100 | 4564.5 | 0.79 |
| AEX | 276.85 | 0.95 |
| DJIA | 9096.72 | -0.13 |
| Nasdaq | 1975.51 | 0.39 |
| FTSE MIB | 20341.67 | 1.65 |
| TSX Composite | 10570.54 | -1.74 |
| ASX | 4148.9 | -0.60 |
| Hang seng | 20135.5 | -2.37 |
| Straits Times | 0.00 | |
| ISEQ 20 | 442.48 | 0.27 |
An introduction to the Swiss schooling system.Switzerland has a largely decentralised education system. Each canton (district) has its own independent education department. The Swiss Conference of Cantonal Education is a united body of Swiss cantons aimed at standardising the system.
Education is divided into four sections: pre-school or kindergarten, primary, secondary, and tertiary or higher education. In the majority of cantons, English is taught beginning in the primary school level. Although private schools exist, the majority of students attend state-run schools. Education in Switzerland is compulsory until the age of 16.
Pre-school/kindergarten
Kindergarten (école enfantine in French and scuola dell'infanzia in Italian) attendance is mostly voluntary in Switzerland, although the majority of children attend a pre-school for at least one year.
Children are not divided into achievement groups at this level. Public kindergarten attendance is free of charge in Switzerland, with local government providing financial support.
Primary school
Primary school attendance is obligatory and free of charge for all children six years and older. Primary school lasts six years in 20 of the cantons and four or five years in the other cantons.
In comparison to the lower secondary level, children at the primary level are not divided into achievement groups. Cantons are responsible for determining the curricula of the primary schools. All of the cantons teach one national language (German, French, Italian or Romanic) and two foreign languages in addition to math, history, geography and science.
Explore our guide to popular expat locations including Bern, Zurich, Geneva, Basel and Lugano.
The Zurich branch manager of Network Relocation offers tips and info to help with the house hunt.
This in-depth profile of Switzerland includes geography, people, government, economy and transnational issues.
An introduction to compulsory and optional forms of insurance in Switzerland.
Twitter
LinkedIn
Facebook
Flickr
General rating:
Rate article:
Add my rating