Bilingual Education in Swiss Schools – The Right Training in A Global World

Most Swiss schools offer bilingual education which involves teaching most subjects in school through two different languages. There are also plenty of schools in Switzerland that provide a trilingual education. Therefore, choosing the right school for your child is certainly one of the most difficult decisions when moving to Switzerland.

For Swiss children, instruction occurs first in one of the languages that are spoken here. The Swiss are indeed world champions in learning languages. A linguistic stay after the apprenticeship or the Matura belongs in the curriculum of most students. Many also take a semester in a foreign country or go after their education to another language area in Switzerland.

However, for foreign nationals, there are several options which include bilingual, international or local schools. So, how do you choose which is the best option?

First consider how long you plan to stay here. Do you plan to stay short-term or have you decided to live here long-term or maybe even forever?

If you are here for just awhile, you will need to determine whether it is worth placing your child in a local school or in any of the Swiss schools that offer a multi-lingual education.

Or, you may have to decide if it would be better to place your child in an English-speaking international school or a even private boarding school. This way, your child may benefit more from staying at such a school because it could foster a smoother transition back to an English-speaking school system in your native country. Click here to read more about the best boarding schools in Switzerland.

However, if you really want your child to gain an understanding of the language and culture while staying here, any of the local schools or Swiss schools that offer bilingual or even trilingual education would be a better choice.

My personal view is that if you plan to spend more than just a few years in Switzerland and want your child and family to integrate, the local school system may be your best option. In most cases, it is more difficult to achieve integration, if your child attends an international school.

Integrating Your Child in The Kindergarten

The Swiss children typically start kindergarten in the local school system between the ages of four and five depending on the Canton. Basically, the focus is on preparing them for school and that they become more independent. The emphasis is placed on developing individual, cultural and social skills.

It is very important to think about your child’s mother tongue and additional language skills. If you want your child to attend bilingual education, but s(he) doesn’t speak both languages, it needs to be considered carefully. Or, if you want you child to go to an English-speaking school, but s(he) isn’t fluent in English, you will need to find out what provisions will be provided.

Finding out about the school’s discipline and grievance policies are also important. How do they discipline the children? Or, how tough are they on racism?

The Qualifications and Experience of Teachers in Swiss Schools

A good international school offering multi-lingual education should have highly qualified, experienced teachers who have been around for at least three years. A rapid turnover of staff in any school should be approached with caution.

Your child may require additional learning support at some stage of its education. Therefore, you need to check if extra help is available and at what cost prior to your child’s enrolment.

Some bilingual Swiss schools employ subject-specialist teachers such as for art, music and physical education. Therefore, if your child has a special talent in a particular area, but the school you are evaluating has no specialist teacher, you may want to look at another school that does.

Other important considerations

Generally, if you’re looking for one of the top Swiss schools for your child, a multi-cultural environment and serious training becomes a necessity because…

• It is easier for your child if it has the ability and personality to adapt to new environments.

• If your child is outgoing, it will adapt better and easier into a school with multi-lingual education than one who is shy or timid.

• Does your child thrive in big, sometimes a bit noisy classrooms with lots of other children?

• Or does s(he) prefer a smaller class with a less boisterous environment?

• What is the class size, Swiss schools classes range from 15 – 20 students, sometimes less.

It is also a good idea to visit different schools during the school day and talk with the teachers. Take your child along and try to get a face to face discussion and ask for feedback from other parents.

The road ahead

After studying in Switzerland, what kind of higher education or employment opportunities will your child qualify for? This is vital if you are planning to stay long-term in Switzerland. Teachers will evaluate the work, performance and learning behavior of your child when attending a Swiss state school. This is done toward the end of the primary school years in which you as parents are included in this process.

After that, decisions are then made as to whether your child moves to either a…

• Realschule (basic courses and basic requirements, or a

• Sekundarschule (expanded courses and medium demands) or the

• Gymnasium (much higher demands and preparation for university.

In the system of Swiss schools, the emphasis is heavily on vocational and general bilingual or trilingual education. Most of the students go on to a vocational course (three or four year apprenticeship) and only a small percentage goes on to attend university. This needs to be borne in mind of you want your child to get a university education, either in Switzerland or in your home country.Click here for more information about university education in Switzerland.

If your child is at an international school and following the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, the choice is straightforward since such schools continue through the primary and secondary years. The IB programme is offered and accepted in many international schools worldwide. It would aid your child with a transition into other English-speaking schools if you decide to relocate.

However, for those children attending a school with a bilingual education, the choice is wider. Some smaller bilingual Swiss schools only take children until the end of the primary years. After that, they can switch to the Swiss school system. Or they can go into the international school system or enroll in a larger bilingual school that continues with a secondary education.

Find Out The Costs Before You Sign on The Dotted Line

In general, if you want your child to attend a school with bilingual education, there will be substantial costs involved. They can range from 20,000 Swiss francs to 42,000 Swiss francs per year. This depends on your child’s age, grade and whether they will attend full or part time. Most of the time, there are additional costs involved such as application and enrolment fees.

Also it may be crucial to find out the admission policies, registration fees and waiting lists which are commonplace in the most popular international schools as well as those that offer bilingual education. Typical application fees are usually around 500 Swiss francs, but they are not refunded if you withdraw or the school simply doesn’t have a place for you.

So it is wise and strongly recommended examining a school contract in detail before you sign on the dotted line. Most private schools offering an education run on annual contracts and fees are sometimes paid up front.

For this reason, it becomes necessary to know ahead of time what will happen if there is a breach of contract. For example, what happens to your fees paid or those due if the school no longer wants your child to attend? Or what happens if you remove your child because you are unhappy or have to leave unexpectedly?

A little bit of planning can pay off big and prevent problems. It just saves you the headache getting your child into another school when things go wrong. On the other hand, sending your children to attend to any of the top Swiss schools is something your children will thank you for. I wish you good luck with your search!

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