Educating our kids: in our second education special of 2005, Swiss News compares private and public education systems in Switzerland, then profiles a private school that is largely funded out of state.
Choosing a school for your children is a decision with a huge impact on their development and worldview. Whether parents opt for the local community school or something more exclusive, the children will hopefully look back on their school years as an enriching experience and a time of belonging,
Private education
International schools are known to attract the children of globetrotting executives but they are not simply corporate spin-offs. They also cater to significant numbers of Swiss children whose parents are keen to see them benefit from a foreign-language education, mainly English.
These children often have one non-Swiss parent and may have already been on the international circuit. One thing all the children have in common is the ability of their parents--or their parents' employers--to pay very high fees, normally about SFr 25,000 per year.
The International School Basel has children from more than 40 different nationalities whose futures are not necessarily in Switzerland Leslev Barton, director of the school, which has 800 to 900 pupils aged from three to 19, explains that her school can support continuity in the children's education.
"Children leave here and go to universities all over the world. We can advise and support the children and their parents about the next stage of their education, regardless of where it may be."
Paid by the boss
Alex Kamer, of Keller Relocation, advises clients moving to Switzerland on schools for their children, "About half our clients come to Switzerland with families, and most of them are on assignment of three to five years. They could be transferred from anywhere in the world: 90 per cent of them opt for international schools."
The main centres for international schools are Zurich, Geneva and Basel. Apart from English-language schools there are also Japanese, French and German schools. According to Kamer, it is not always possible to get a place in the school of your choice as some have waiting lists, but schools are expanding all the time.
The company normally pays school tees for the relocating professionals, as part of the transfer package. But in cases where they don't, parents are often prepared to pay the tees to secure that particular style of education, Multinational companies often invest in international schools and children of their employees have priority when there is a waiting list.
Children in international schools can register and de-register on relatively short notice, so...
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