Agreement on School Coordination - Purpose

1. The concordat cantons form an inter-cantonal public law institution for the promotion of the education system and the harmonization of the corresponding cantonal law.

1. The concordat cantons commit to harmonizing their school legislation in the following aspects

a) The school entry age is set at the completion of the 6th year of age. The cutoff date is June 30. Deviations in cantonal law up to 4 months before and after this date are permitted.

b) The compulsory education for boys and girls lasts at least 9 years with a minimum of 38 school weeks.

c) The regular duration of education from the start of compulsory schooling until the matriculation examination lasts at least 12, but no more than 13 years.

d) The school year begins between mid-August and mid-October.

**1. The Concordat Cantons formulate recommendations for all cantons, particularly in the following areas:**

a) Framework curricula

b) Joint teaching materials

c) Ensuring free transfer between equivalent schools

d) Transfer to differentiated higher education levels

e) Recognition of examination results and diplomas obtained in equivalent educational programs

f) Uniform naming of equivalent school levels and types

g) Equivalent teacher training

**2. The Conference of Swiss Teacher Organizations shall be consulted in the preparation of these recommendations.**

1. The concordat cantons collaborate among themselves and with the federal government in the areas of educational planning and research, as well as school statistics.

2. For this purpose

a) institutions necessary for this collaboration are promoted and supported

b) guidelines for annual or periodic Swiss school statistics are developed

1. The concordat cantons delegate the execution of the tasks set out under Article 2 to Article 4 to the Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education.

2. Competencies and procedures are laid down in a set of rules of procedure.

3. The costs of the concordat activities are distributed among the cantons in accordance with their population size.

4. Non-concordat cantons have an advisory voice in concordat matters.

1. For the facilitation and promotion of collaboration, the cantons unite into four regional conferences (Western Switzerland and Ticino, Northwestern Switzerland, Central Switzerland, Eastern Switzerland). Each canton independently decides on joining a regional conference.

2. The regional conferences prepare the matters for the plenary conference.

1. In disputes arising from the concordat between cantons, the Federal Court shall decide upon a complaint.

1. The Harmonization of School Legislation in Accordance with Article 2 of this Agreement Shall be Implemented in Stages.

2. The Concordat Cantons Commit Themselves to

a) establish the school entry age in accordance with Article 2 lit. a within a period of 6 years,

b) extend compulsory education to 9 years within an appropriate time frame. Cantons with only 7 years of compulsory education may accomplish this in two stages.

3. The Establishment of the Start of the School Year in accordance with Article 2 lit. d should, in principle, take place at the beginning of the school year 1973/74.

1. Accession to the Concordat shall be declared to the Board of the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Directors of Education, which shall notify the Federal Council.

1. The withdrawal from the concordat must be declared to the board of the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Directors of Education. It takes effect at the end of the third calendar year following the declaration of withdrawal.

1. This concordat shall enter into force when ten cantons have acceded to it and it has been approved by the Swiss Federal Council.

2. Adopted by the Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education in Montreux on October 29, 1970.