851000 Pre-primary education

This type includes:

• pre-primary education, which is defined as the initial stage of organised instruction designed primarily to introduce very young children to a school- type environment, that is, to provide a bridge between the home and a school-based environment.

In Switzerland, pre-primary education (kindergarten) is normally included in the compulsory school program. In a few cantons of German-speaking Switzerland, there is no obligation to send children to kindergarten, or only an obligation of one year. Nevertheless, the vast majority of children in these cantons attend kindergarten also for two years. In several German-speaking cantons, municipalities can choose to run a first learning cycle (called «Grundstufe» or «Basisstufe»), which combines kindergarten and the first one or two years of primary school. In French-speaking Switzerland, the two kindergarten years are usually included in what is called «cycle 1» or «cycle primaire 1», which lasts for four years. The canton of Ticino offers in addition to the two compulsory years of kindergarten, an initial, voluntary year for children from age three.

This type excludes:

• child day-care activities, see 889100