It acknowledged that progress has been made over the past few years, but a more coherent policy was needed to improve the situation for children at a pre-school age.
The 20-member government advisory commission urged cantons and municipalities to offer pre-school care and education opportunities at affordable prices for low-income families.
In a report published on Tuesday, the experts also recommend measures to ensure the quality of the personnel working in childcare and education.
Children with a good education and care in their early years are “healthier, more content and more successful” later in life, according to the report.
The Swiss parliament last September extended for a third time a state-funded programme, despite opposition by the government, to boost the number of creches and other school care centres.
The programme was introduced in 2003 with the aim of creating about 57,400 places for children across the country.
More
More
Weighing up the cost of childcare
This content was published on
Switzerland is home to the world’s most expensive childcare. To change this, the government is suggesting introducing special tax breaks.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
In-demand care staff often leave profession after five years
This content was published on
The rest, according to longitudinal research published on Friday, are working elsewhere in the health care field and a fifth of those surveyed have left it altogether. The Swiss Observatory for Vocational Education and Training and OdASanté, the association for care workers, studied 2,000 such workers over five years to track their career choices. The…
This content was published on
Grouping children of different ages in the same class is practically the norm in alpine villages and other small remote communities. Sometimes, when there are not even 20 pupils and resources are limited, one teacher ends up teaching them all, from first grade to the last year of primary school. In some cantons of Switzerland, it…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.