| DMS |
Diplommittelschule |
A school at the upper secondary level, for students generally aged 16-18, and with lower requirements than the Gymnasium, which leads to special types of vocational education. |
| ECTS | European Credit Transfer System | |
| EDK/CDIP |
The Swiss Conference of Cantonal Directors of Education | |
| ETHZ | Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich | The technical university of Zurich |
| HEP(s) | Haute(s) école(s) pédagogique(s) | teacher training college(s)/higher education teacher training institution(s) |
| HES, (special) | Haute Ecole Specialisée | specialist higher education institution |
| ILO | International Labour Organisation | |
| NFER |
National Foundation for Educational Research (in England and Wales) | |
| OECD |
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development | |
| PH | Pädagogische Hochschule(n) | teacher training college(s)/higher education teacher training institution(s) |
| QCA |
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (in England), formed on 1 October 1997, from the merger of the former School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (SCAA) and the National Council for Vocational Qualifications. | |
| SCAA |
The School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (England), now replaced by QCA. | |
| SIBP | Swiss Institute for Vocational Education | |
| SKBF/CSRE |
Swiss Coordination Centre for Research in Education | |
| SPC/SZH | Schweizerische Zentralstelle für Heilpädagogik/Centre suisse de pédagogie spécialisée | Swiss Institute for Curative and Special Pedagogy |
Glossary of foreign terms
| Altsprachliches Gymnasium (plural, altsprachliche(n) Gymnasia) | In Zürich, the secondary school for 'ancient languages' (classics). Courses usually last six and a half years (commencing at age 12/13) and are mandatory for those students who wish to become physicians, or enter the clergy and some other professions. |
| Berufslehre | Apprenticeship. In Zürich many students commence apprenticeship courses on completion of compulsory education (age 15/16). Such courses last two to four years (dependent on subject area) and involve one or two days per week in school, combined with in-company training. |
| collège (plural, collèges) |
French-speaking upper secondary school in some cantons in Switzerland, catering for students aged 15-19 in post-compulsory, upper secondary education. |
| Diplommittelschule, (plural, Diplommittel-schulen) (DMS) | A school at the upper secondary level, for students generally aged 16-18, and with lower requirements than the Gymnasium, which leads to special types of vocational education. |
| école enfantine (plural, écoles enfantines) |
Pre-compulsory school or class. The term varies from canton to canton. (Kindergarten in German-speaking areas of Switzerland; scuola dell infanzia in the Italian-speaking regions.) |
| école polytechnique (fédérale)(plural, écoles polytechniques (fédérales)) | A form of national technical higher education institution. There are two in Switzerland. This is the French term for the "eidgenössische technische Hochshule" (so-called in the German-speaking region of Switzerland). One of these institutions is in Zürich (German-speaking part); the other one in Lausanne (French-speaking part of Switzerland). Both schools are technical universities and a Maturität certificate is needed for access. |
| enseignant(e)s | Teacher(s) |
| Fachhochschule (plural, Fachhochschulen) | In Zürich, technical colleges, which some students enter on completion of their apprenticeship (Berufslehre) to receive some form of further/higher education. |
| Gymnasium (plural, Gymnasia) | Post-compulsory upper secondary schools catering for around 15 per cent of students in the 15/16-18/19 age group and offering a broad general education which leads to the Maturität certificate, required for entry to university higher education. |
| Haute Ecole Specialisée | Specialist higher education institution |
| Insegnante(i) | Primary school teacher(s) |
| Kindergarten (plural, Kindergärten) | Pre-compulsory school and class. The term varies from canton to canton. (Ecole enfantine in the French-speaking areas of Switzerland; scuola dell infanzia in the Italian-speaking regions.) |
| Lehrer/Lehrerin(en) | Teacher(s) |
| Mathematisches und Naturwissenschaft-liches Gymnasium (plural, Gymnasia) | In Zürich, the upper secondary school for mathematics and sciences, which provides four-and-a-half-year courses for students leaving compulsory lower secondary education, age 15/16. Courses focus on maths and science subjects, but also include German and two foreign languages. |
| Matura/Maturität | The name of the examination taken and the certificate received on completion of post-compulsory upper secondary education, the successful completion of which grants access to university higher education. |
| Maturitätsabschluss (plural, Maturitäts-abschlüsse) | The Matura examination (see Matura/Maturität) |
| Maturitätsschule (plural, Maturitätsschulen) | Post-compulsory upper secondary school which provides education for the Matura examination and consequently for university entrance. |
| maturité fédérale | The final examination for students in the French-speaking collège in some Swiss cantons. It is broadly equivalent to the French Baccalauréat, see section 6.4 of the France archive. |
| Neusprachliches Gymnasium (plural, neusprachliche(n) Gymnasia) |
In Zürich, the upper secondary school for modern languages, which provides four-and-a-half-year courses for students leaving compulsory lower secondary education, age 15/16. Courses focus on modern languages such as German, French, Italian and English, but also include maths and science subjects. |
| Oberschule (plural, Oberschulen) | In some, usually German-speaking cantons (such as Zürich), this is the 'third-level' of the hierarchy of streams or schools established in selective lower secondary education. This school or stream is specifically for students who have some difficulties in learning. |
| Oberstufenschule (plural, Oberstufenschulen) | Lower secondary school in Zürich, which lasts for three years, commencing at age 12/13, see 3.2.3. |
| Pädagogische Hochschulen/Hautes écoles pédagogiques (PH/HEP) | Higher education teacher training institutions |
| Primarschule (plural, Primarschulen) | Primary school in Zürich; lasts six years, commencing at age 7. |
| Progymnasium (plural, Progymnasia) | Advanced stream in lower secondary education, which prepares students for entry to the (Swiss) Gymnasium and therefore subsequently for the Maturität certificate and entry to university education. |
| Realschule (plural, Realschulen) | In some, usually German-speaking cantons, this is the 'second-level' of the streams or schools established in selective lower secondary education. It teaches the same subjects as the more academic Sekundarschule, but in less depth. |
| scuola dell'infanzia (plural, scuole dell'infanzia) | Pre-compulsory school and class. The term varies from canton to canton. (Ecole enfantine in the French-speaking areas of Switzerland; Kindergarten in the German-speaking regions.) |
| Sekundarschule (plural, Sekundarschulen) | In some, usually German-speaking cantons, this is the most academic of the streams or schools established in selective lower secondary education. |
| Volksschule (plural, Volksschulen) |
Compulsory basic/elementary school in Zürich which lasts for nine years from the age of 7. Volksschule is divided into Primarschule (primary school) and Oberstufenschule (lower secondary school). |
| Wirtschafts-gymnasium (plural, Wirtschaftsgymnasia) | In Zürich, the upper secondary school for economics, which provides four-and-a-half-year courses for students leaving compulsory lower secondary education, age 15/16. Courses focus subjects linked to the study of economics. |
Glossary of English terms
| canton | One of the 26 administrative areas/states which make up the confederation/federal state of Switzerland. Cantons enjoy a certain level of autonomy and are further divided into municipalities (approximately 3,000 in all). |
| cantonal | Referring to cantons |