International Mobility school education

The International Mobility School Education Programme gives teachers, other educational staff and pupils from Switzerland the opportunity to improve their skills at schools in other countries. To strenghten cooperation between schools, learning visits in Switzerland by pupils from other countries are also supported. It is also possible to select external specialists (Invited Experts) and ask them to visit Swiss institutions. The objective is to develop quality and promote innovation at Swiss schools as well as to encourage teachers and pupils to be open and receptive to the social, linguistic and cultural diversity.

Teachers and educational staff:

• Structured staff training courses
• Teaching observation in classrooms (job shadowing)
• Teaching assignments

Invited Experts:

• Experts from other countries are invited to visit Swiss institutions

Pupils:

• Exchange between groups of pupils from Switzerland and other countries (group mobility, outgoing and incoming)
• Learning visits by pupils from a school in Switzerland to a school in another country (individual mobility, outgoing)
• Learning visits to a school in Switzerland by pupils from a school in another country (individual mobility, incoming)

Countries worldwide according to the list of program countries.

• Project duration: 1 or 2 years
• Duration of individual activities: 2 days to 1 year (excluding travel time)

An unlimited number of activities can be applied for within a project. 

Applications can be submitted by general education schools based in Switzerland, from pre-school to upper secondary level. Applications cannot be submitted by individuals. Consortia* are also eligible.

*Swiss school education institutions (schools, universities of teacher education, cantonal administrations, associations etc.) can submit an application involving participants from several schools (at least one school and one coordinating institution).

• Teachers and other educational staff employed at a school based in Switzerland
• Pupils attending a school providing general education based in Switzerland

Funding for mobility projects is generally based on flat-rate amounts for travel, subsistence (costs of stay), organisation and course costs. Grants are also paid for language preparation and additional costs due to special needs.

The grants depend on the duration of the mobility, the planned activities, the number of participants and the destination country.