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Swiss-German canton pushes to banish French teaching from primary schools

The teaching of French at primary school level in German-speaking areas of Switzerland received a further blow this week as the Thurgau cantonal government voted to banish it from the timetable.

Published: 4 May 2017 11:13 CEST
Swiss-German canton pushes to banish French teaching from primary schools
kmiragaya/Depositphotos
On Wednesday Thurgau’s parliament voted 68 to 53 in favour of a 2013 motion to abolish the teaching of French at primary school level. 
 
The vote is the latest move in an ongoing saga related to the teaching of national languages in Swiss primary schools.
 
Thurgau is one of several cantons in the German-speaking part of the country which don't want to teach French at primary school, preferring pupils to learn English instead.
 
The move goes against a 2004 federal language teaching strategy and a later ‘harmonization’ agreement, approved by the cantons and the people, which decreed that two languages should be taught at primary school, at least one of which should be a Swiss national language.
 
But citing lack of resources and time, some cantons including Thurgau are making plans to teach just one language, and say that one should be English.
 
Though education policy is generally set at cantonal level, the row was inflamed last year when the federal government said it would intervene if the cantons failed to prioritize national languages.  
 
The question is an emotional and delicate one for multilingual Switzerland and has divided opinion. The Thurgau motion was supported by the Swiss People’s Party, the Greens and the Christian-Democrats but opposed by the Liberal-Radicals, Socialists and centre parties.  
 
Wednesday’s vote is not definitive, however. A second round of voting will take place in June, and it’s likely that if approved again in parliament it would be put to the Thurgau public in a cantonal referendum later in the year, Swiss media said on Thursday. 
 
Reacting to Thurgau’s vote MP Mathias Reynard said: “This decision is unacceptable and shows the arrogance in certain quarters towards French-speaking Switzerland and the minority languages of our country,” reported Le Temps. 
 
The question is also being raised in other cantons. 
 
On May 21st the people of Zurich will vote in a cantonal referendum on whether to teach just one foreign language at primary school rather than the required two.
 
If approved, it remains to be seen if that language would be French or English. 
 
And now the canton of Graubünden is likely to go down the same route after Switzerland’s highest court on Wednesday said the canton was allowed to hold a referendum on teaching one language at primary level rather than two.
 
If accepted by the people, the multilingual canton would teach only English at primary level in German-speaking areas, but only German in Italian and French-speaking regions.
 
Opponents to the proposed referendum said it would lead to discrimination on linguistic grounds, but a majority of Federal Court judges disagreed, reported news agencies. 
 
Similar one-language referendums are likely in Lucerne and Basel-Country in the future, said Le Temps.
 
Though Thurgau has made headlines for several years on the matter, it is not in fact the first canton to abolish the teaching of French to primary school kids. 
 
The famously conservative Appenzell Innerrhoden – Switzerland’s least populated canton – dropped it in 2001 in favour of English. 
 
Speaking to Le Temps the cantonal government’s president Roland Inauen said it had been a positive experience. 
 
“With an increase in French lessons at secondary level and excellent teachers, by the end of compulsory school our pupils reach a level of French that is as good as those from cantons where it is taught from primary school level,” he said. 
 
But Le Temps points out that no scientific study has been conducted to confirm this. 
 
As for Switzerland’s third national language, last year Ticino’s education minister complained that the country often “forgets” about Italian.
 
If the government wants to promote national languages then Italian should be offered in all schools, at least as an option, he said. 
 
 
 

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SCHOOLS

Swiss school or international school: Which is best for foreign parents?

A big question for foreign parents moving to Switzerland is whether to send their children to a Swiss state school or to an international school. Here’s what you need to know.

Published: 17 August 2023 10:04 CEST
Updated: 6 September 2023 16:32 CEST
Swiss school or international school: Which is best for foreign parents?

International schools were originally founded for diplomats and foreign staff on the lookout for an English-speaking school to make the transition easier on their offspring.

Eventually, Switzerland’s international schools gained traction and began to attract the attention of many parents – even locals. Today they count among the most prestigious (and expensive) private schools worldwide.

First, let’s look at some of the advantages of an international school when compared to a state-run public school in Switzerland.

In general, Swiss-based international schools offer not only specially selected subjects, but also a better teacher-student ratio due to smaller classes, better equipment well as extracurricular activities ranging from tennis to drama lessons which not available in state-run local schools.

Moreover, private schools have so far been spared the teacher shortage which has taken over state-run schools. This in turn may lead to wealthier parents opting to choose a privately-run school to better secure their children’s future, according to the President of the Teachers’ Association Dagmar Rösler.

Still, there are a few things foreigners should consider before signing up their school-aged children to attend an international (or public) school.

Duration of your stay

If you are only moving to Switzerland for a short time and plan to relocate to your home country thereafter, an international school may prove just the right fit for your child as it could ease reintegration into their local school system.

Language and integration 

Switzerland-based international schools are – for the most part – run in English with the odd exception offering a bilingual course in the local language paired with English. However, they will offer other languages in the curriculum. 

If you plan to stay long-term or even settle down in Switzerland, it will be important for your child to integrate, and while this is possible when attending an international school, it will be much easier in a native environment – such as a state-run school – where your child is instructed in the local language.

This also enables your child to meet, interact and practice local languages with Swiss pupils as 95 percent of Swiss parents opt to send their children to state-run schools.

Additionally, most state-run schools offer additional language classes for foreign students.

Remember that while your child may feel more comfortable being in an international environment, this could make them feel isolated from Swiss culture in the long run.

You also should think about your child’s personality and what they might prefer or excel in. 

READ MORE: 5 things you never knew about Switzerland’s school system

A student carries books.

A student carries books. Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

School set-up

The majority of international schools in Switzerland classify as so-called ‘day’ schools, meaning that students will stay at the school during their lunch break with lunch being included (and provided) within the school fees.

Local state-run schools, however, expect their students to head home during their lunch break and no meals are offered at those schools. This can prove complicate depending on the parent or caregiver’s work schedules.

It’s also a good idea to research how the schools are run. In Switzerland, cantons are responsible for public schooling and there can be differences depending on the region. 

For instance, Studying in Switzerland reports that in German-speaking cantons, “kindergarten and two years of primary education are combined into the first learning cycle, and students aged four to eight years are in the same class. They call this Grundstufe or Basisstufe.”

In the French-speaking cantons, two years of kindergarten are combined with two other years to make the first cycle of primary education/

Meanwhile, in the Italian-speaking cantons “children attend kindergarten from the age of four”, says the site aimed at students and families considering Switzerland as a place to study. 

At international schools, institutions often follow a particular country’s educational philosophy. For example, it may be based on American, British, French or Japanese school systems. 

Distance

Switzerland’s public schools are usually in proximity to your home where your child should have easy access (by public transport) to the school. In fact, it is common for school-aged children to walk to school alongside their classmates rather than choosing to hop on a bus.

International schools will require you to arrange transportation – such as a school bus – and can be a hassle for your child to reach.

Cost

While it won’t be news to parents living in Switzerland who send their children to private schools, doing so is expensive – so expensive in fact that not only is Switzerland the most expensive country in Europe for international schools, but it is also home to the most expensive city for international schooling – Zurich.

Last year, a report, compiled by International Schools Database (ISD), compared the costs of international schools (in USD) in cities and countries across the globe. 

Switzerland faced no real rivals in Europe for top spot, particularly considering that the three most expensive cities for international schools on the continent were all based in Switzerland. 

Zurich took top spot with a median price of CHF 25,570, while Lausanne was in second (24,250 francs ) and Geneva was in third (23,366 francs). 

Meanwhile, state-run schools in Switzerland are free of charge.

READ MORE:

Admission

If you have chosen to send your child to an international school, you will need to apply in order for your child to be admitted.

This will largely depend on how many places are available at any given time. It is usually recommended to check the application criteria for your chosen school and apply early to get ahead of the competition.

State-run schools guarantee admission for children of mandatory school age.

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