Zurich student numbers stop rising for first time since 2008

Student numbers in the canton of Zurich have stopped growing for the first time since 2008, with about 162,000 children and young people starting the new school or kindergarten year on Monday, SRF reported. The figure is roughly unchanged from last year, according to the canton.

Numbers had risen steadily over the previous 18 years. Twelve other Swiss cantons also began their new school year on Monday.

A new branch of Kantonsschule Stadelhofen, a secondary school, opened in Dübendorf at the site of the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute. It can accommodate 650 students in long- and short-term academic programmes or at the commercial secondary school.

Young people entering vocational education also began their apprenticeships. A total of 12,875 new apprenticeship contracts were signed in the canton for basic vocational training.

Commercial employee, childcare specialist and healthcare specialist remain among the most popular apprenticeship professions.

According to the canton, vocational schools are implementing the “General Education 2030” reform this school year. The reform is intended to align classroom topics more closely with learners’ real-life and working environments.