AEHT

1) In Switzerland the educational system and educational administration are based on federalist structures. There is no Ministry for Education at a national level. The responsibilities in the educational domain are divided among the Confederation, Cantons, and Communes. The main responsibility for education rests with the cantons, mainly in the field of general education. In general it is compulsory for children to attend school full-time for 9 years. Inter-cantonal cooperation and school coordination are the responsibilities of the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK). The EDK issues core curricula and concludes agreements about the recognition of diplomas and the recognition of schools.

2) After the compulsory school adolescents transfer to the upper secondary level. The upper secondary level may be divided into general education and vocational education. The general education schools are the Matura schools and the intermediate diploma schools. Apprenticeships as well as full-time vocational schools are a part of vocational education. About three-fifths of the adolescents in Switzerland complete vocational training (apprenticeship). They have a choice of 300 professions. An apprenticeship takes between two and four years, but the majority takes three or four years.

3) The tertiary level is comprised of higher professional education, the universities of applied sciences. In the higher professional education, for which the Confederation is responsible, often a specific number of years of professional practice is required besides the federal certificate of competence (completion of an apprenticeship). Whoever has a certificate of a general education school at the upper secondary level (Matura school certificate, certificate of a diploma middle school, certificate of a commercial middle school) will also be admitted. 

For a general survey of the Swiss educational system please consult: http://www.educa.ch

The vocational training for tourism and hospitality also varies widely in accordance with the differing objectives of federal and cantonal/local schools; private hotel schools also play an important role. Examples of subjects and curricula for vocational and higher vocational training in hospitality:

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