What does the CDPE stand for in language teaching?

The CDPE defends the prerogatives of the Cantons in language teaching. He did not take a position between the two variants of the Federal Council and believes that each Canton should be able to decide on the project. The Conference opposed in principle the intervention of the Confederation, deeming it disproportionate and politically inappropriate. It also argues that the Cantons can continue to provide a second language to primary schools through inter-cantonal cooperation.

What are the two variants put into consultation?

The first variant intends to enshrine in law the learning, at primary and in addition to the mother tongue, of two languages: a national one and English, as required by the HarmoS system. The second provides a minimum requirement: the teaching of a second national language from primary school until the end of secondary level I. The CDPE has not chosen between these two hypotheses.

When does the consultation of the federal project end?

The consultation procedure on the Government's draft will end on 5 October. The project concerns two possible rules on language teaching in schools. Until the deadline indicated, the CDPE argues that each Canton must be able to pronounce itself and maintains its opposition in principle to an intervention by the Confederation.

French at school: the cantons defend autonomy

Di Redazione Frontaliere Ticino · Published on 25 September 2026

Swiss school with French and German language books

The CDPE defends cantonal prerogatives regarding languages and does not choose between the two federal variants: consultation until 5 October.

Context

In short

The CDPE defends cantonal prerogatives over languages
In some cantons, French is postponed to middle school
The Federal Council consults two variants
The consultation ends on 5 October

Key facts

Institution → CDPE and Federal Council
Cantons mentioned → Zurich, St. Gallen, Schwyz and Thurgau
Variant 1 → a national language and English in primary school
Variant 2 → a second national language from primary to secondary I
Deadline → 5 October

In the report of 24 September 2026, the Conference of Cantonal Directors of Public Education (CDPE) indicated that the cantons intend to maintain their prerogatives in language teaching. The position came after the Federal Council, in recent months, had expressed its discontent with the decisions of some German-speaking cantons aimed at postponing French.

From Zurich to St. Gallen, via Schwyz and Thurgau, more and more cantonal parliaments have opposed the consolidated teaching of French in primary schools. The indicated preference is to move the start to middle school. This trend has pushed the Government to intervene, despite the principle according to which everything relating to education falls within the competence of the Cantons.

The federal project under consultation

The Federal Council has put two variants out for consultation. The first intends to enshrine in law the learning, in primary school and in addition to the mother tongue, of two languages: a national one and English. The text refers to the HarmoS system. The second hypothesis provides for a minimum requirement: the teaching of a second national language from primary school to the end of lower secondary level.

The difference therefore concerns both the breadth of the proposed rule and the moment at which a second national language must enter the school curriculum. For families, the point to observe is the calendar: in the debate of the German-speaking cantons, French in primary school and French in middle school are not presented as equivalent paths in terms of time.

The CDPE did not choose between the two variants. It believed that each canton should be able to express its opinion on the project and contested, in principle, an intervention by the Confederation deemed disproportionate and politically inappropriate. According to the Conference, the Cantons can continue to independently ensure, through intercantonal cooperation, the teaching of a second language in primary school.

The consultation procedure on the Government's project will end on 5 October. Until that date, the comparison remains open between the cantonal autonomy defended by the CDPE and the possible common requirement proposed by the Federal Council. To distinguish this item from other family expenses, the cost of living in Switzerland is also available.

Operational details

The practical point is the school calendar

To understand the scope of the dispute, three levels must be separated: the authority of the Cantons, the content of the two federal variants, and the school level at which a second national language is introduced. The source does not describe a final decision, but a consultation procedure accompanied by a cantonal position.

Three scenarios to distinguish

Table 1: Framework
Framework	Rule described in the source	Aspect to observe
Cantonal autonomy	The Cantons ensure teaching through intercantonal cooperation	The comparison remains tied to cantonal decisions
First variant	In primary school, in addition to the mother tongue, two languages: one national language and English	The proposal combines a national language and English
Second variant	A second national language from primary school through the end of lower secondary I	The minimum requirement covers the entire pathway indicated

In a scenario of continued autonomy, the teaching schedule may continue to be decided at the cantonal level. This is the point that explains the CDPE's opposition to intervention by the Confederation: according to the Conference, cooperation among Cantons is sufficient to ensure a second language in primary school.

In a scenario based on the first variant, the common reference would instead be the learning of two languages in primary school, one national language and English, in addition to the mother tongue. The second variant would have a different scope: it would establish as a minimum a second national language from primary school through the completion of lower secondary I. The two hypotheses should therefore not be confused: the first lists two languages to be learned in primary school, while the second defines a threshold for a second national language throughout the school pathway.

For someone following the debate in a German-speaking Canton, the concrete question is when French begins: in primary school or in lower secondary school. For someone comparing the federal proposals, the question is instead which linguistic combination is indicated and for which part of schooling. This distinction avoids attributing to the CDPE a preference it has not expressed and presenting as already decided a project that is still under consultation.

The issue remains educational and institutional: the source contains no figures on salaries, taxes or contributions. For a separate review of the family budget, it is possible to use the calcolatore stipendio.

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Key points

How to follow the process through 5 October

The Federal Council's project is in the consultation phase. Those who need to follow developments in language teaching can organize their reading of the dossier in four steps, all linked to the elements indicated by the source.

A four-step reading guide

1. Note the school level involved. The comparison concerns French in primary schools and the possibility of postponing it until lower secondary school. This is the first distinction to maintain when reading a cantonal decision.

2. Separate the languages mentioned. The mother tongue, a second national language and English have different roles in the two variants. The first provides for two languages in primary school, one national language and English; the second indicates as a minimum requirement a second national language from primary school through the end of lower secondary level I.

3. Identify the decision-making level. The CDPE maintains that education falls within the Cantons' responsibilities and that the teaching of a second language in primary schools can be ensured through intercantonal cooperation. The Conference, however, has not chosen between the two federal proposals: each Canton must be able to state its position on the project.

4. Mark the procedural deadline. The consultation on the Government's project will conclude on 5 October. The date makes it possible to correctly place the announcements: before the closing, this is a comparison of variants submitted for consultation, not a description of an already uniform cantonal choice.

This sequence helps compare the situation discussed in the German-speaking Cantons with the two federal hypotheses without conflating responsibilities and content. It also helps explain why the CDPE's position is distinct from a choice regarding French: the Conference defends autonomy and calls for the Cantons to be able to state their positions, but does not indicate which variant it prefers.

To support the verification with a practical tool on the site, use the calcolatore stipendio.

Source: rsi.ch

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the CDPE stand for in language teaching?: The CDPE defends the prerogatives of the Cantons in language teaching. He did not take a position between the two variants of the Federal Council and believes that each Canton should be able to decide on the project. The Conference opposed in principle the intervention of the Confederation, deeming it disproportionate and politically inappropriate. It also argues that the Cantons can continue to provide a second language to primary schools through inter-cantonal cooperation.
What are the two variants put into consultation?: The first variant intends to enshrine in law the learning, at primary and in addition to the mother tongue, of two languages: a national one and English, as required by the HarmoS system. The second provides a minimum requirement: the teaching of a second national language from primary school until the end of secondary level I. The CDPE has not chosen between these two hypotheses.
When does the consultation of the federal project end?: The consultation procedure on the Government's draft will end on 5 October. The project concerns two possible rules on language teaching in schools. Until the deadline indicated, the CDPE argues that each Canton must be able to pronounce itself and maintains its opposition in principle to an intervention by the Confederation.
Which Cantons are mentioned in the debate on French?: The source cites Zurich, St. Gallen, Schwyz and Thurgau. From these Cantons comes the reference to cantonal parliaments that have opposed the consolidated teaching of French in primary schools, preferring to send it back to middle schools. The text places the theme more broadly among some German-speaking Cantons.