Local or International School

If you are relocating to Switzerland with a family, the biggest single decision you will make is whether to put your kids in international/bilingual private school or go local. First things you need to consider:

1.       Length of stay: if you are here fewer than three years, it’s just not worth the hassle and it will take that long to really get settled.

2.       Can you pay for it yourself? Jobs change, bosses change, offers change etc… you need to make sure you can fund the eye-watering international school fees yourself because you don’t want to be in a position where you are compelled to send your (now much older) kids to local schools.

3.       Are you both going to be working full time: It’s not impossible, but Swiss schools sure don’t make it easy for two working parents. In the UK (and US/Canada) I could pretty much count on the kids being at school 9 to 3:30 every day from the age of four. Not so here. Lunch at home, staggered starting time, varied school events, special classes across town etc… mean one parent often needs to be accessible a good part of the time(*more on this later.) I know very few working Swiss mothers and the ones who do have a vast family support network. With three kids, I wouldn’t be able to make it work.

4.       Does your child have learning issues: It doesn’t mean an automatic no but you should think long and hard. Swiss schools are tough enough for children without issues.

5.       Are you prepared to learn German: If the answer is no, don’t even bother.

6.    Age of child:  I moved to the States from Italy when I was ten, my sister 14 (first year of high school). I was fine after a little while --  a year or so though it took a couple to really catch up-- my sister, not so fine. While she ended up going to University and did very well, I'm sure she would not recommend switching at that age to anyone. Social nightmare. Add to the mix the fact that Swiss schools start to stream at about age 12. The moral of the story is that anything is possible with enough dedication, but switching language and culture after about the age of 11 is really difficult. This goes double for families who plan on using English as their home language.  

These are the four basic questions you have to ask yourself. The rest is a little less clear.

Pros of going local:

1.       You will integrate with Swiss society and culture – sending your kids to the neighbourhood school is the great equalizer. While there is little possibility of actually meeting any parents on site as there are no school gates and children go to classes on their own starting at age 4, you will meet them at some point. And you therefore will have something to talk about. I know all my neighbours with children and we all bitch and moan about the same things. I know none of my neighbours without.

2.       You will receive a first class education at no cost. Our school (average class size 20 students) has amazing resources, beautiful buildings, motivated, thoughtful teachers who actually get paid good money. And it shows. Children receive extra language help quickly.

3.       Children are much freer to play without hysterical safety regulations now omnipresent in UK/Canada/US (btw, this can also be a huge “con”). It’s a lot more like the environment we grew up in: long afternoons chasing each other and investigating spiders. For older kids – week long ski trips! The freedom is heavenly.

4.       Your kids will feel part of the community. They will learn Swiss German, German, French, Italian etc… They will have local friends. This will eventually be a huge plus in life. It will set them apart from the rest of the pack, wherever they are.

5.       You – by force – will learn another language.

Cons of going local:

1.       It will be incredibly hard academically for a good long time because of the language. Anyone who says their kids were fluent in 6 months has a very different definition of fluent from me. A year minimum. Kids who struggle with language will have an even harder time, as German is a particularly difficult language. And if neither parent speaks German to a reasonable standard, homework will be difficult.

2.       It will be incredibly difficult socially. Swiss adults (and this includes teachers) expect children to sort themselves out and this often turns into “might is right” in the school yard. Self-reliance is a big theme is Swiss society in general. The whole concept of inclusiveness is not really stressed and pastoral care at school is limited. If your child is having issues, don’t be surprised if he/she is blamed. It takes a long time for foreign children and adults to break through the acquaintance barrier and into real friendship. Expect tears. Lots of them. And periods of low self-esteem for even the sturdiest child. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say most expats have a really hard time trying to figure out Swiss society and how it functions.

3.       Children are not at school for the whole day: You can count on Wednesday afternoon to be free. At least in our town, kindergarten is only two and a half hours long. Not until the child is in the third grade will he/she do a full day at school. School breaks up for at least 2 hours for lunch. While some communities have a supervised lunch FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL near the school – it is not in school so may not be very appropriate for younger kids. What would be deemed unusual requests in the UK (starting school at 5 am to look at night creatures only to return at 10 am) are not so uncommon here. Extremely charming and well worthwhile but… This all adds up to a serious headache for any working mother

4.       The Swiss educational system is very different from the Anglo Saxon (UK, Canada, US) in fundamental ways. Parental involvement, and therefore say, is non-existent. Positive reinforcement is not the automatic default – forget stickers and smiley faces. Creativity and exploration are not hugely encouraged, at least not in the younger years

a.       Kindergarten is a time for young children to be socialized and perform in a group setting. Don’t’ expect a lot of cuddles. Learning how to be independent is a core subject. Creativity yes, but as part of a system, like copying exactly what the teacher draws.    

b.      Much of the first few years is rote learning and there are no varying levels in maths and German. Every kid has to be pretty much on the same page. Expect the teacher to be critical.

c.       Pressure piles on in the fifth class because soon the child will be streamed – something that will pretty much affect the course of his or her academic career. In our town, math grades account for half of the point system to get into the highest level of education.

d.      A University degree is not the goal of most Swiss kids – only 20% make it. Of that 20% I imagine there are few students from families where neither parent is a native speaker

Pros of Private School/International School

1.       Transition is easy: lots of other kids in the same boat. The schools I visited seem to be very inclusive and make a big effort to integrate the kids. I can honestly say I don’t know any expat in one of the schools who is miserable. I can’t really say the same for the Swiss school.

2.       Continuation of schooling: Our clever plan of sending our children to local schools for primary and then to the international school for secondary have been dashed by the realization that the school is unlikely to have room for them. We are now very much in the what-the-$%^k-do-we-do-now planning mode.

3.       You, as a parent, will make friends fast. You will be a lot less lonely than your above mentioned counter-part. You may even be able to hold down a job.

Cons of Private School/International School

1.       It’s highly unlikely that you or your child will become part of Swiss society. You will forever be a foreigner in a foreign land and you are unlikely to make this your home. And you will probably be a lot more negative towards Swiss people in general than if you actually shared something with them. There are families who make it work, learn Swiss German, take part in the town’s activities, the whole enchilada. But odds are not. But I also know lots of people for whom this is not a problem.

2.       It will be very difficult for your child to do non-school local activities like football because a) they won’t be able to speak Swiss German and b) they will be shunned if not teased by the local kids. Again, this may not be a huge problem.

3.       You and your children will forever be making and losing friends. The average stay is two-three years. Teachers also come and go.

4.       Money: If you’re paying out of pocket, imagine what you can do with the money you save…