• Daycare centers are open from Monday to Friday.
• Some KITAs take children until they start with kindergarten and others will take care of your child until the end of kindergarden.
• We strongly recommend that you reserve a daycare spot in a KITA at least 9 months in advance using the online portal KI-TAX
• Some KITAs are subsided. The cost depends on the income and assets of the parent. Childcare vouchers will also be available for non-residents of Bern from the summer of 2020.
• A few companies also offer playgroups in English.
• KITA for Children with Special Needs

Tipp: Whenever possible, choose a KITA in your own neighborhood, since your child(ren) will be enrolled in the local kindergarten where you live. This ensures that the travel time from the KITA to the kindergarten and vice versa is as short as possible.

• These include childcare services for children outside of regular school hours (before and after school). Many all-day schools also offer transportation.
• The service is open to all parents and children. All-day school services are voluntary and fee-based for parents (cost depends on income and assets).

• Kindergarten and School System in the Canton of Bern
• The Ecole Cantonale de Langue Française (ECLF) in Bern is a public school (kindergarten as well as grades 1 through 9) that follows the curriculum from the French-speaking Swiss cantons. The main language of instruction is French, with German and English taught as subjects.

Did you know that despite the “Harmos” project (aimed at harmonizing compulsory education in Switzerland), the school entrance age still varies in some cantons? Education is a cantonal affair, and the situation has evolved over the years. Harmonizing many different school systems takes time.

Apprenticeship training enjoys an excellent reputation in Switzerland, and around two thirds of Swiss young people complete an apprenticeship after finishing their compulsory schooling. The country’s low unemployment rate is due in part to the fact that young adults are integrated into the working world earlier than in other places. After finishing their apprenticeship, a large majority of them go on to complete another practice-oriented course of study at a college of higher education or university of applied sciences. In Switzerland, lifelong learning is strongly encouraged within the framework of its very accessible education system. Anyone who decides to complete a vocational apprenticeship first can still pursue an academic degree afterwards – with increasing options to do so while continuing to work.

• Overview of Vocational Training, SERI
• Overview of Colleges of Higher Education, Canton of Bern
• Overview of Universities of Applied Sciences, SERI

• Overview of Technical Secondary Schools (Fachmittelschulen) in the Canton of Bern
• Overview of Cantonal Secondary Schools (High Schools/Gymnasien) in the Canton of Bern

Technical Secondary Schools (Fachmittelschulen) are for pupils who target a career in the fields of in the professional fields of health, social work or education. The technical school also prepares for higher tertiary education like College of Higher Education or University of Applied Sciences.

Overview of Swiss Universities, swissuniversities

International Schools in and around Bern

The Musikschule Konservatorium Bern is a music school offering classes and courses for all ages

• City of Bern (German classes only)
• Canton of Bern, Language Classes for Migrants (with search function)
• Your municipality may also offer language courses.

• The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) is responsible for recognizing foreign qualifications.
• The Vocational Information Center (BIZ) Bern is happy to help with questions about your foreign qualifications.

• Foundations For Learning (in Basel and Zurich)
• Nathalie Foundation (in Gümligen)
• Sport/Exercise for People with Disabilities
• Speech Therapy: Professional Association of Bern Speech Therapy (speech therapists can be chosen by language or location)