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Switzerland ranked ‘worst in Europe’ for being family-friendly

A study of family-friendly policies in OECD and EU countries released by the United Nations Children’s fund (UNICEF) has ranked Switzerland lowest among European countries.

Published: 14 June 2019 12:35 CEST
Switzerland ranked 'worst in Europe' for being family-friendly
Photo: AFP
The study, based on data from 2016, took into account national policies on paid parental leave for mothers and fathers, accessibility of childcare services offered up until school age (6 years old), and breast-feeding rates. 
 
Switzerland was ranked lowest among European countries (31st), just below Greece, Cyprus, and the United Kingdom.
 
 
This low ranking was due largely to a lack of fully-paid leave guaranteed to mothers, who get only eight weeks at full rate equivalent (or a total of 14 weeks at 80 percent of their salary), and fathers, who are not guaranteed any parental leave at the national level.
 
 

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Though the Swiss did slightly better in terms of childcare, they still found themselves in the lower half of the table when it came to childcare enrolment before and after 3 years of age.
 
The highest ranked country in the study was Sweden, which offers 35 weeks of fully-paid leave to mothers and 10 weeks to fathers, and where 97% of children aged 3-6 were enrolled in child care. Close behind Sweden were Norway, Iceland, and Estonia.
 
 

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Paid leave and childcare accessibility varied widely among the countries studied, and no country was consistently ranked highly in every factor considered. 
 
The top country in terms of maternity leave was Estonia, with 85 weeks at full pay, while the number one for parental leave was Japan, which offers 30.4 weeks, largely untaken by Japanese fathers. The only country to not offer any nationally-guaranteed full-pay parental leave was the United States.
 
Because data on childcare enrolment was not available in the study’s non-European countries, they were not ranked.
 
 
The report was released as part of UNICEF’s Early Moments Matter campaign, which aims to promote healthy brain development in young children.
 
“There is no time more critical to children’s brain development – and therefore their futures – than the earliest years of life,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “We need governments to help provide parents with the support they need to create a nurturing environment for their young children.

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FAMILY

What are Switzerland’s rules on taking your children out of school during term time?

Does Switzerland allow parents to take children out of school so they can go on holiday?

Published: 2 August 2023 16:22 CEST
Updated: 16 February 2024 15:16 CET
What are Switzerland's rules on taking your children out of school during term time?

Flights and hotels are usually a lot cheaper at off-peak times when schools are not on holiday, and there are fewer traffic jams. 

It’s no wonder then that families would ideally rather travel a few days before school holidays begin – or come back just after the term starts. 

It can also sometimes be the case that a vacation to mark a special occasion, such as a wedding abroad, is planned during a school term. 

So what happens if your child misses a day or two – or even longer – of classes to go on holiday with the family? Is removing your child from lessons allowed in Switzerland?

It depends where you live…

Some common sense is required here. It simply won’t fly to take your child out of lessons without telling anyone, or keeping them off school with no good reason for a longer period of time.

But when it comes to the finer details – as with most things in Switzerland – it comes down to where your child goes to school.

According to reports in Swiss media site Blick, only a few cantons impose hefty fines on families who take their child out of school without a good reason. 

In some places, it is actually legal to take children out of school for two or three days without a reason – although you do of course have to let the school know. 

Let’s look at Zurich as an example. The canton says: “Each student has two additional and freely selectable vacation days per year. Parents also have the option of requesting an exemption for their child.”

READ ALSO: When do kids in Switzerland go back to school after summer?

The extra time off is called ‘Jokertage’ (joker days). It means that students can be absent from classes for two days per school year – without having to give any reasons.

“Parents do not have to apply for this absence,” the canton says. “It is sufficient to inform the teacher or the school management.”

If a half day is taken, it counts as a full day, and unused extra days can’t be carried over to the next school year.

Classroom

An empty classroom. Image by WOKANDAPIX from Pixabay

“The school communities have the right to refuse the use of extra days on certain school occasions – these include, for example, visiting days or sports days,” says the canton.

If parents want to take their child out of school at other times (not including sickness), Zurich says there need to be “important reasons” for the absence.

These include things like preparation for important cultural or sporting events, trial apprenticeships or “extraordinary events in the personal environment of the students”.

“The school administration is required to consider personal, family and school circumstances when approving exemptions,” says the canton.

What’s the situation in other parts of Switzerland?

The cantons of Thurgau and Appenzell Ausserrhoden also have two ‘wildcard’ days available for kids, reports Blick. However, in Thurgau all absences, whether excused or not, are noted on children’s report cards.

Bern allows pupils five additional half-days. They can be registered with the class teacher in advance without having to give a reason.

In the canton of St. Gallen, there are only two extra half days available for kids. But in the city of St. Gallen, no additional vacation extensions are permitted. According to the city, requests for this are rejected. For each missed school day without a valid reason, parents have to pay 200 francs per school half-day, which increases to 1,000 francs if it happens repeatedly. 

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

In Aargau, a half-day off is allowed per school year. If children are absent from school for more than three days without an excuse, they face the highest fine for these kinds of cases in Switzerland: 600 to 1,000 francs per day, and 1,000 to 2,000 francs in repeated cases, as well as a criminal charge in extreme situations. 

Although there are no special days off for children in the canton of Solothurn, parents can submit requests for vacation extensions. But fines of up to 1,000 francs can be imposed for truancy.

In Geneva, parents have to send a request to the school at least 15 days in advance stating the reasons for the planned absence, which can be granted or refused. The canton says that unexcused absences or absences for which the reason is not recognised as valid “may result in pedagogical intervention or disciplinary action”. Families can also face fines. 

The canton of Vaud says that requests for leave of absence during school time “must be made in writing to the school management, stating the reasons for the request”. However, education authorities point out that reasons of “personal convenience do not justify the granting of individual leave, unless an exceptional request is duly justified”.

In Basel-City, schools recognise extended family vacations. In kindergarten, up to five extra days off per school year are possible, in primary and secondary school two days per school year. Parents have to inform the school, but don’t need to provide further justification. 

Please note that this article, as with all our articles, is a guide only and if you are considering taking your child out of school during term time, the best thing to do is check the rules in the area where you live and talk to the school management.

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