Bouncing back from the pandemic, many education systems in Europe chose to increase the minimum instruction time in compulsory education.
The Eurydice network published on 20 June 2023 its annual comparative report on the recommended instruction time in compulsory education. The report analyses and compares the minimum teaching time for full-time education across 39 education systems in Europe, including Switzerland, for the school year 2022/2023. The rationale underpinning the study is that evidence suggests the positive effect of increased time for learning, given sufficient quality. Other factors, however, such as the time available for learning outside school and the availability of support measures for disadvantaged students, must also be taken into account. The data is drawn from the recommended minimum instruction time for compulsory curriculum (8-13 years old pupils) as stated in the relevant national or regional regulations.
In many countries, the primary education lasts longer (4-7 years) than the lower secondary education (4 or fewer years). At the same time, primary education has fewer hours per week than secondary education. While this tendency bears little surprise, it is interesting to observe how the minimum instruction time has changed compared to the last report covering 2020/2021. In the years after the pandemic, the report shows an overall significant increase in instruction time in the 2022/2023 report. This is mostly due to reforms of education systems, for example in Romania or Finland, and to the addition of subjects to the curricula, for example in Austria and France. In contrast to the overall trend, some education systems saw the decrease in instruction time, such as for example Flanders, Portugal and Switzerland. However, the data for Switzerland is based on an average between the 26 cantons and therefore the trend is less clear.
Switzerland has the highest level of decentralisation and school autonomy across all European systems. At national level, only the main subjects are defined. The cantons (regions) decide on their curriculum and minimum instruction time. However, the cantons agreed on common curricula within their language regions. For this reason, the report includes little specific data from Switzerland.
When it comes down to the specific subjects, the report finds clear differences in instruction time. Reading, writing and literature has the highest minimum instruction on primary school level with on average 25% of all the total school hours, ranging between 15% and 38% in Europe. In secondary school, this average goes to 15%. Overall, mathematics is the second most taught subject with about 17% of all primary school hours, and between 10% and 16% of all secondary school hours. Natural sciences represent a range of subjects, and in primary school at times even other subjects such as ICT or technology. While writing, reading and literature becomes less important in secondary school, the opposite is true for natural sciences. On primary school level, on average 7% of the minimum instruction time is dedicated to natural sciences, while at secondary school level it amounts to 13%. Lastly, social studies subjects have the greatest variety of instruction time across Europe. In half of the analysed education systems, there is no minimum specific amount of instruction time for social studies at primary level, while in the other half of the systems the rate lies between 3% and 13%. The time for social studies increases on the secondary school level but remains less important compared to mathematics or natural sciences.
The Eurydice network studies compares and explains how European education systems are organised and functioning. The Eurydice network does not only consist of EU Member States but also of other European countries, such as Switzerland. The Swiss contributions stem from the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK). Recently, on 15 June 2023, the European Commission decided to enable the participation of Ukraine in the Eurydice network as per a new Arrangement for Cooperation on Education.