Private schools in Germany and Switzerland: a comparison of trends in state supervision and support

Abstract

This article examines the development of private schools in Germany and Switzerland since the turn of the millennium. The focus is on a dual comparison: synchronously – both intrastate (between federal states or cantons) and interstate (between the two countries) – and diachronically, by comparing the situation around 2000 with the present. The analysis focuses on the primary education sector and applies the framework of historical Institutionalism to explain similarities and differences in supervision and support. Using case studies from three German federal states and three Swiss cantons, the study compares the status and state support of private schools to highlight key similarities and differences.