Weird request - anyone ever been to school in Switzerland?

[fireupthequattro]

We possibly have to move there, and have ehard that state schools are good but wanted some feedback.

Have posted on an ex-pat website, but they seem to be mainly male and talking about tax on there

Not much help I'm afraid, but I aupaired near Lausanne years ago and the 3 girls I looked after (5,7 & 9) loved school, they did have to come home for lunch though (not sure if this is the norm). They were struggling somewhat because they were bi lingual which obviously has it's advantages in the long term but made it a little harder for them at school. I thought the school was lovely as was the little village community - a nice safe place for children to grow up and actually BE children.

There are a few Swiss based MNetters so hopefully someone will be along soon with some helpful advice

I went to the local village high school for a year when we first moved to switzerland and my younger brother was in the state system from kindergarten until he was 15.

Part of the thing with Switzerland is that each canton (similar to county in UK) has it's own education system so it's hard to give you any specific info without knowing which canton you're looking at. My Mum is principle of a private school in one canton but lives in the neighbouring one and it was actually too much hassle for her to bother with transfering my brother to the canton where she worked due to the way they structure it all. Where I was it is, imho, very highly segregated wrt ability. It's not just all kids in one year with different sets for specific subjects but actual different classes at different levels in each year and it is tough to transfer up, you basically have to have a high grade average and then repeat the year you've just done and if you don't maintain a good enough average, down you go.

Don't know how "good" the schools are, I was too busy trying to learn local dialect plus German plus French all at the same time to be too concerned about the level of teaching. Also, in the villages there is actually rarely a different school to choose from, so you go to the local school regardless of if it's any good.

thanks guys, I think some of the posters on ex-pats seem to always be of the opinion that nothing matches their country so I am always a bit sceptical.

It's hard as he is in an AMAZING primary here and at his age will go backwards to kindergarten for one yr, after reaching almost the end of Key Stage 1 in reading this year. I'm worried about the confusion of sending back to "playgroup" and then launching him into full on school a year later.

Also we don't think it will be a life move, so are able to pay for private if needed, but thought it would be advantageous to immerse him in a language and make a bilingual person! However if that sets his schooling back I am not around, as I am now to help and coach, as I will be full on working again over there!

Also reading hideous posts about kids not being friendly with Auslanders and not making friends - arrggh am I being oversensitive and paranoid or mad for thinking about this move!!!!!!

I'd send him to a local school as he is young enough to pick up a new language quite easily at that age. Where in Switzerland are you thinking of - German or French speaking?

German side - Solothurn

Try posting the question in the living overseas section? I think there are quite a few Swiss regulars on there....

FWIW, I have several expat friends in Switzerland, various nationalities, but their kids were mostly born in Switzerland, so didn't have to adapt to the education system as outsiders. Or they use the international schools - I gather there is quite a choice around Zurich, Geneva, Basel etc, but possibly not if you are going to be somewhere smaller. No one has mentioned anyone being unfriendly to outsiders though.

I would have thought a year 'back' in kindergarten would be good to acclimatize your DS to the language; you can always take English books and worksheets etc to keep up his English reading level at home.

Thanks ex, I must have overlooked yesterday but have found the threads.

Booking an investigative trip so I think that will help so much.

Not sure if the expat forum you've already found is this one: englishforum.ch. If you look under the 'Family Matters/ Health' tab, there are loooooots of discussions about schooling.

My kids are in Swiss schools, but near Lausanne, in the French side, so things are a little different here. Things to bear in mind:

• language: at his age, it will probably be more Swiss German, with High German being introduced once he starts proper school. He will need both, Swiss German for the playground and High German for schooling. They are NOT the same language, or just a difference of accent or some such - to get close, imagine it's English v Dutch.

• language again: communication with the teachers/ understanding the school letters, etc, will presumably take some work unless you already have good German. Not impossible, but difficult if you're planning to work full-time.

• hours: most kindergartens run something like 4 mornings 8.30-12, then home for a 2-hour lunch, then back for a couple of afternoons. The hours are much closer to a UK playgroup than a UK school, and childcare can be difficult. On the other hand, it does give a lot of spare time to supplement the learning with more UK-focused material, and this is very easy to access online nowadays.

• independence: some kindergartens encourage children to walk to school alone or with friends. Bucking this trend leads to frowns. It's also likely that he will be expected to go to sleepover camps - my daughter did her first overnighter at 5.5 yrs old!

• community: having kids at the local school is very bonding. I LOVE that we walk down the street and know almost everyone by sight, 'bonjour'-ing as we go. Otherwise, where you live can feel a bit like a dormitory, somewhere just for sleeping.

• don't sweat it: no decision is irrevocable. Try it, and if it doesn't work out, then make sure you're handy for an international school! But give it a year to tell - the 'oh, my kids were fluent in 3 months' comments are usually from parents with no real proficiency in the local language themselves, who are confusing fluency with having a beautiful accent and being able to trot out some playground-relevant phrases.

Good luck! Two years on, my kids (8 and 4 when we started) are very happy, are fluent in French and we all have a whole host of local friends. And we've saved a fortune by me not needing to run a second car!

kodokan

Sorry for double posting, probably bad form, but just read on the Living Overseas board that you'll be working and SAHD is a fluent German speaker.

In that case, go for it! Having one full-time parent, who already speaks German - fantastic, that'll make it loads easier, and hubby can then of course help out with alongside UK-curriculum specific work for your son (really just reading at this age, and perhaps keep an eye on what he would be doing in maths - honestly, it's hardly anything, I've managed to teach my daughter to read in English from scratch alongside her 2nd year of kindergarten).

We moved to Zurich a year ago and I think I asked a similar question on mumsnet... In the end we decided to try kindergarten for DD who was in reception in the uk, and it's worked out very well for her.

She spoke no German/swiss dialect so it was tough for her for a few months. But by Christmas her teacher said she was fully integrated in the group and now she has plenty of friends and party invites.

The kindergarten is so much more than a playgroup, they learn a lot and she loves the independence of walking to school and back with her friends.

Keeping up with the UK curriculum seems to be fine too. She goes to a private group English class once a week and she?s working on KS2 books, and we do a little maths at home.

Hope that helps! Good luck with your decision.