Education and schools for expats in Switzerland | KOCH Moving Logistics

Moving to Switzerland presents families with many challenges, especially when it comes to their children's education. The Swiss school system differs from German education systems in many ways – above all in its cantonal diversity and strong emphasis on vocational training. In this article, we take a look at the Swiss education system, the best international schools in cities such as Zurich and Geneva, and options for younger children, so that you can emigrate to Switzerland well‑informed and prepared.

For families moving to Switzerland, international schools offer an excellent opportunity to provide their children with a high‑quality and familiar education. Especially in economic metropolises such as Zurich, Geneva and Basel, there are numerous top‑tier international schools that teach according to Western curricula.

Zurich is home to several renowned international schools. These include the Zurich International School (ZIS), which offers an American and IB curriculum as well as a bilingual educational track.Also popular is the International School of Zug and Lucerne (ISZL), which boasts an IB programme, as well as the SIS Swiss International School Zurich with its consistently bilingual teaching concept.

Geneva, the seat of numerous international organisations, has a particularly high density of international schools. The Ecolint International School of Geneva, founded in 1924 as the oldest international school in the world, offers a bilingual French‑English IB programme. Other well‑known institutions include the Geneva English School with a British curriculum, the Collège du Léman with several graduation options (IB, Swiss Matura, French Baccalauréat) , as well as the German School Geneva, which follows a German‑French bicultural educational approach.

In addition to these international schools, there are also bilingual offers that provide a particularly smooth transition for children from Germany, such as the Swiss International School in Basel with over 40 nationalities.

 

The Swiss school system is known for its high academic quality – in the current PISA comparison, Switzerland performs significantly better than Germany in mathematics, reading and science. It is divided into three successive levels: compulsory school (primary level and lower secondary level), upper secondary level (vocational training or academic secondary school), and tertiary level (universities, universities of applied sciences, ETH).

A special feature of the system is its decentralised organisation: the main responsibility for education lies with the 26 cantons. This means that school types, curricula, holiday dates and even the order in which foreign languages are taught can vary from canton to canton. Compulsory schooling lasts eleven years in most cantons and generally begins with kindergarten from the age of four.

Almost two‑thirds of young people complete a duale Berufsbildung dual vocational training programme ("apprenticeship") after compulsory school – a dual system of company and vocational school that enjoys a very high status in Switzerland and leads to excellent skilled professionals by international comparison..

Compared to Germany, some differences are particularly noticeable:

 

– Stronger emphasis on vocational training: While in German‑speaking Switzerland around 80% of a year group complete vocational training and only 20% go to grammar school (Gymnasium), the ratio in Germany is significantly different, with about 50% going to university and 35% completing vocational training..

 

– Cantonal diversity: Unlike in Germany, where educational sovereignty also lies with the federal states, the differences between Swiss cantons are often even more pronounced – from different school type designations to varying language sequences..

 

– Language challenge: In German‑speaking Switzerland, Standard German is taught at school from primary level onwards, while Swiss German is often spoken in everyday life. For newly arrived children, support services are available at all levels.

For families with young children planning a move to Switzerland, there is a wide range of kindergartens and preschools. Kindergarten attendance is generally two years and is a compulsory part of elementary school. The language of instruction in kindergarten is generally the local dialect (Swiss German).

In addition to public kindergartens, many international schools offer their own preschool programmes , such as the Zurich International School (ZIS) with its bilingual pathway for children from the age of three , as well as the International School Rheintal (ISR) with an English‑language kindergarten.

For working parents , supplementary childcare services are important : after compulsory school hours, municipalities or private providers chargeable day structures (lunch tables, afternoon care). Some international schools, such as SIS Basel, go even further and offer flexible drop‑off and pick‑up times, homework supervision and even activities during school holidays..

Moving to Switzerland requires careful planning, especially with regard to your children's education. It is important to find out about the various options early on – depending on the canton of residence and the individual needs of your family. KOCH Moving Logistics is at your side to make the transition to the Swiss educational landscape for your children as smooth as possible.