School system 

School attendance is compulsory and free for all children from the age of four. After two years in kindergarten, children move on to primary school. Compulsory education lasts a total of 11 years.

After the sixth year of primary school, children attend secondary school for three years. This is either in a secondary school or in a long-term selective secondary school called a «Langgymnasium». Children must pass an entrance examination to attend a Langgymnasium.

During the second year of secondary school, young people start to prepare for their future careers. They learn about different professions to help them prepare for their onward journeys after compulsory schooling. With the support of their teachers, many students look for an apprenticeship in a company during their time at school. Young people who do apprenticeships attend a vocational school one to two days a week and receive a small salary. Other young people aim to attend an upper secondary school and prepare to take entrance examinations for either a short-term selective school known as a «Kurzgymnasium» or a specialised school called a «Fachmittelschule». These examinations can be taken in the second and/or third year of secondary school.

When choosing their careers, young people also need support from their parents. You can findExternal link: information about the vocational education system here in various languages. The City of Zurich organises careers events for parents in various languages.

Starting school

If you already live in Zurich and your child will be four years old by 31 July, you do not have to do anything. We will contact you in plenty of time before they start kindergarten.

If you have recently moved to Zurich and have registered your address, you will receive further information from us about your child’s school allocation. Enter your address in the tool to identify your school district authority. This will enable you to contact us directly.

Lesson times

Lessons take place on five mornings and, depending on the year group, on two to four afternoons. There are no afternoon lessons during the first year of kindergarten. Children either go home or stay at school for lunch. Parents pay income-based fees for meals and the out-of-school-hours care services..

Out-of-school-hours care services

Out-of-school-hours care services are provided by schools. These services are subject to a fee. You can find an overview of the different services on offer and their associated costs here. Parents can apply to receive financial support and pay a reduced rate depending on their income and assets. You need to complete a form to register for childcare for the first time (The out-of-school-hours care service is often referred to as “Hort”). Detailed information on the service is only available in German.

Day schools

In day schools, pupils from the second year of kindergarten stay at school over lunchtime on days with afternoon lessons. They receive a hot meal and are supervised by trained professionals. In addition to lunchtimes, it is also possible to register your child for before- or after-school hours care in the day schools.

Curriculum

There is no national curriculum in Switzerland. The External link:Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich (Compulsory School Curriculum for the Canton of Zurich) applies in the canton of Zurich. The curriculum defines the subjects and skills that are developed in the compulsory school system.

German as a Second Language (DaZ)

If your child is new to learning German or needs additional support, they will receive DaZ lessons. These lessons are free of charge and take place in school, usually during school hours and partly in the student’s own classroom. Further multilingual information can be found on the website of the External link:Cantonal Office of the Department for Compulsory Education (Volksschulamt).

Lessons in Home Language and Culture (HSK)

Your child can expand their knowledge of their first language in External link:HSK classes. Participation is voluntary but recommended. These lessons are available in over 30 languages and are offered by various institutions. You can register your child External link:online.

Instruction in the subject «Religions, Cultures, Ethics» (RKE)

RKE lessons are structured so that all students can participate, regardless of their background and religious affiliation. Freedom of faith, belief and conscience is a constitutional right in Switzerland. The subject RKE is compulsory. 

No grades are given during kindergarten and in the first year of primary school; instead, a parent-teacher meeting is held which focuses on the child's development. During the subsequent school years, pupils receive a report in February and at the end of the school year in July, with grades ranging from 1 to 6. 1 is the lowest grade and 6 is the highest. A grade of 4 is considered to be sufficient. Detailed information on assessment at different levels can be found on the website of the External link:Cantonal Office of the Department for Compulsory Education (Volksschulamt).

Various support services are available for gifted and talented pupils or pupils who have challenging learning or behavioural difficulties. Find out more about support services here. If necessary, therapies such as psychomotor therapy and speech and language therapy can support children with their learning. 

Health and prevention

The City of Zurich’s school health services complement your child's medical care. Please contact our specialist services if you have any questions.

Dental health
General health
Learning difficulties or behavioural problems
Addiction problems

School social work service

The school social work service is located directly in the school building and is aimed at children, adolescents, parents and employees of the school. The service provides support with and advice on any questions that may arise and problems that may be occurring at school or within the family.