Basic education

Here you will find all relevant information and documents about Basic Education, Inclusive Education System and Quality Education, Education in Emergencies (EiE), Transition to VSD and lifelong learning, and to Basic Education and other sectors.

School children in a classroom, one raising a hand to participate. The teacher stands at the blackboard. — African schoolchildren in a classroom, one raising a hand to participate. The teacher stands at the blackboard, fostering an interactive learning environment. — © Adobe Stock Image

SDC has decided in January 2025 to phase out its thematic engagement in basic education. This decision reflects a strategic prioritization of resources, with increased focus on Education in Emergencies (EiE) and Vocational Skills Development (VSD).

At the same time, SDC remains committed to ensuring a responsible and gradual transition. Ongoing basic education projects will continue to be implemented until the end of their respective phases. For this reason, documentation, tools and knowledge products related to basic education remain available on this platform.

Main Topics

A class of primary school children sitting at their desks in small groups, in Tanzania. In one of the groups, a girl writes in a notebook and the other kids are looking at her.

Introduction to basic education

Inspired by the Swiss educational system SDC builds on the mutually reinforcing qualities of basic education and vocational skills development and stresses the link to the labour market.

Group of women in traditional Nepali dresses, sitting and standing in front of a house, listening to a woman talking about their rights.

Inclusive education system and quality education for all

SDC seeks to drive systemic changes by contributing to effective, inclusive and equitable education systems and by enabling relevant quality learning that provides competencies for life and work.

A student wears headphones and writes in a tablet in class

Basic education in thematic contexts

Basic Education has the transformative potential in: Sustainable development, civil society participation, and social cohesion, climate change and disaster risk reduction, peace building and gender equality, digital transformation and migration.