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CHILDREN

Readers’ verdict: Switzerland is great for kids but bad for parents

That seems to be the general conclusion of our reader survey into raising kids in Switzerland. Read on to find out why.

Readers' verdict: Switzerland is great for kids but bad for parents
File photo: Depositphotos
A recent study by UNICEF suggested Switzerland is the least family-friendly country in Europe. 
 
Assessed according to its policies on parental leave and childcare provision, among other things, Switzerland was ranked last of 31 countries, just below Greece, Cyprus and the UK. 
 
So is it really true? We asked our readers what they thought and the results are fascinating. 
 
The good
 
Most of our readers were in agreement that there are plenty of benefits for children growing up in Switzerland.
 
Nature’s on the doorstep
 
A major plus for families in Switzerland is the abundance of outdoor activities available to everyone, in simply stunning countryside.
 
“We live close to the mountains, close to the lake, the city is not very far, nature is pure and the Swiss take pride in taking care of their country,” said a reader from canton Schwyz.
 
“Kids are so free and families have so many activities to enjoy together, especially in nature!” agreed Nadia Mills from the Zurich area.
 
Your kids are pretty safe
 
Switzerland is regularly voted one of the safest countries in the world, so what better place to bring up your children? 
 
Kids are encouraged to “embrace freedom”, said one reader, and that’s apparent in the Swiss culture of letting kids walk to school on their own or with their friends. 
 
“We feel safe letting our kindergarten age daughter walk on her own to school, it is important for us that our children feel independent and safe at a young age,” said Paula Jiménez from the canton of St Gallen.
 
“There are so many good things, but the fact that kids from the age of four plus can walk safely to and from school is probably top of my list,” enthused David Forster from Zurich.
 
Healthcare is top notch
 
It doesn’t come cheap, but the healthcare system in Switzerland is one of the best in the world. For mothers, costs related to pregnancy and birth are completed covered by insurance, with no deductible. Though children must be insured from birth, premiums are lower than for adults and there is no deductible for children up to the age of 18. 
 
And, for your money, you get a good quality service.
 
“The entire pregnancy/birth support here far exceeded what I would have gotten in the US,” said reader Colleen Waiz from Basel.
 
Your kids grow up multilingual
 
Many readers were enthusiastic about the school system here, with one saying “Schools are highly organized and of great quality. The children have many opportunities to learn in and out of classroom.”
 
And, of course, one of the great benefits for foreign residents is that their kids will naturally pick up at least one of Switzerland’s official languages, and potentially learn a second, too.
 
“The exposure to a multi-lingual environment” is a major plus, said Geneva resident Matthew Snell.
 
Access to nature is one of the great things about raising children in Switzerland. Photo: Christof Sonderegger/Swiss-image.ch
 
 
The bad
 
Kids may benefit from Swiss life, but the same can’t always be said for parents. The majority of the bad points about raising kids in Switzerland relate to how it negatively affects parents, according to readers. 
 
Childcare is expensive
 
One thing most readers agreed on is that childcare is very expensive here, sometime prohibitively so. Unlike in the UK there are no free nursery hours, and a full-time nursery place can cost up to 20 percent of a family’s income, depending on where you live. What’s more, it can be hard to find a nursery place at all.
 
“Finding daycare close by and reasonably affordable” is very difficult, said reader Matthew from Lutry in canton Vaud, who says the childcare for his three children under five costs 4-5 times what it would have cost in his home country. “The pricing is insane! And needing to match my vacation days to the three weeks each year the daycare is closed. And being dependent on family schedules if short-term needs arise.”
 
Daycare is “too expensive, but for working mothers who also want their kids to be early integrated in the country it is a must,” said Liliana da Silva from Zurich.
 
Maternity leave is short and there’s no paternity leave
 
With women receiving just 16 weeks maternity leave (less than the six months generally recommended for breast-feeding) and men having no statutory paternity leave, parents in Switzerland often struggle to achieve a work-life balance.
 
“We have two children, my husband had in both cases one day of parental leave. We do not have any family near, my husband had to use 20 days of his vacations to be with me and our babies,” said reader Paula.
 
“My partner got one day of parental leave (and that was the day I gave birth), which I think is a real scandal,” said a resident of canton Schwyz. “I really could have used his presence and for him it was also a missed opportunity to live the first couple of days with our newborn. Two weeks should be a minimum.”
 
Careers may suffer
 
The result of policies like these? Many parents feel Switzerland doesn’t support modern families. The cost of childcare and the short length of maternity leave means women often feel obliged to stay at home instead of going back to work. 
 
“It is difficult, nearly impossible, to grow financially. If both of us work then we pay for childcare, more taxes, transportation, etc. Which means that the second income will not make a difference other than giving the stay-at-home parent the feeling of individual career growth without any other benefits. We believe that it is not family-friendly because we can only have one income that does not let us save for the future or have vacation,” said reader Paula.
 
Another reader, Karen Herzog, spoke of the “old fashioned attitude regarding women as bad mothers for working when they have kids”, while Liliana da Silva agreed that “The system relies on woman taking care of kids. Very little support to working mothers in this country”.
 
“Be prepared that one of you won't be able to have a career unless you can afford huge creche bills…” said Vaud resident Rachel Bailey.
 
Another contributing factor is nursery holidays and school hours. Many schools send children home to eat their lunch, making it difficult in families where both parents are at work. 
 
“School hours don't work if mothers wish to enter the workforce, these worked well in 1930 but not today anymore” said John from Schaffhausen. 
 
File photo: Depositphotos
 
 
The verdict
 
Swings and roundabouts?
 
So, despite Switzerland being recently named ‘the world’s best destination for expats’, it isn’t all rosy when it comes to family life. The answer? Well, it’s different for everyone, but the one thing all parents can try and do when they move here or decide to start a family is do their research and be prepared. 
 
As Zurich resident David puts it: “Kids have much greater freedom here, but it is different for parents and can be more challenging. The key is to accept the challenges and work to figure out how to deal with aspects that might be frustrating (such as kids coming home for lunch). It is definitely not a country that is set up for both parents to work 100 percent.”
 

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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?

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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