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OPINION: The benefits of raising children in Switzerland

It's easy to complain about the long cold winters and the language barrier - but for many foreign parents raising children in Switzerland, the benefits far outweigh the negatives.

Children in gumboots line up next to each other on a muddy track
There are many benefits to raising kids in Switzerland, but also several challenges. Photo by Ben Wicks on Unsplash

Global surveys ranking the ‘best places to raise children’ often place Switzerland in the top ten, and a recent U.S. News & World Report annual survey placed Switzerland in seventh place globally for raising children in 2018. 

After moving to Switzerland from Australia a year ago, I vividly remember calming my then six-year-old daughter and four-year-old son down on their first day of school. I felt like a spokesperson from Swiss Tourism as I overcame every one of their objections with a smile and an interesting new fact about their new school and new home. But what my children didn’t know is that although I was keeping my cool on the exterior, I too was nervous, unsure and afraid.

However, after about a month of living in Switzerland, I soon realized my children were thriving and my personal objections to raising children here became the very reason I wanted to stay. Together, we have embraced learning German and are enjoying a healthier and more active lifestyle.

In fact, the more parents I spoke to, the more I heard the same sentiment: “Switzerland is a great place to raise children: that’s one of the main reasons we stay.” It seemed that although parents missed home, they could not deny the advantages and opportunities that come with raising children here. 

Four mothers from different places of origin gave me their view on the main benefits of raising a child in Switzerland. Here is what they said.

1. Child safety and autonomy

For mum-of-three Claudia Hug, the main benefit of raising children in Switzerland is the freedom her children enjoy. Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, the working mother can already see the benefits of raising her children in Zurich.

“Here you don’t need all the security apparatuses and measurements I needed in São Paulo. My daughter was 16 when we arrived and my son was nine, and so quickly they became much more independent and freer,” she says. 

“My daughter could go to parties without depending on me to drive her. My son has the freedom of inviting friends over and visiting them as well, without me having to drive around. That is a major step up in quality of life. I think the whole school Swiss system is not perfect, of course, but it gives to the child a much more inclusive and fair view of life.”

2. Children explore nature and the outdoors

Pragati Siddhanti, originally from India, is a working mother living in Basel. For Siddhanti, the major benefit of living in Basel is first and foremost the safety she feels for her eight-year-old daughter, but she is also delighted about how outdoor play is encouraged.  

“Children have the freedom to walk alone, and a lot of other things. They are not constantly in an overly protective environment which makes them quite confident and independent from an early age. 

“Also, the importance of being outdoors and playing sports – with so many parks, facilities, and great sports camps/classes is great. I love the culture where kids spend a lot of time outdoors, go for forest walks, swim and ski at an early age – all important life skills to have,” she says.

A child sits with a piece of bread and a can of soup

A child sits with a piece of bread and a can of soup. Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

3.    A world-class education

Single mother, Riham Youssef moved from New York to Geneva and also rates child safety and outdoor play highly in Switzerland, but she praises the Swiss schooling system as the top benefit of childhood here. The mother of twin four-year-olds is amazed by the quality of education her children are receiving in their new home. 

“My twins were born in Manhattan, a city I absolutely love. Yet I left it when they were one-year-olds for the sole reason of raising my children here, in a healthy and safe environment, with so many green spaces and fun outdoor activities for the little ones,” says Youssef.

“The education system is also exceptional. My children started school in September, and in just a few months they have truly blossomed. Educators give outstanding individual attention to each child and help them reach the maximum of their potential.”

4.    Children can come home for lunch

Tala Daniela von Däniken, originally from England, has lived in Switzerland for 18 years and is the mother of two girls – a ten-month-old baby and an eight-year-old girl. The Zurich-based mum also loves the independence that children have from such an early age.

At the same time, she really appreciates the quality time she has with her daughter when she comes home for lunch. 

“I don’t think there is anywhere else in the world where four-year-olds walk to kindergarten alone…and as much as I often find it inconvenient that children come home for lunch, as I have to rush so much with my baby to be home and have lunch on the table – another mother pointed out to me that it’s nice to have time with your child at lunchtime, as dinner time is too rushed and leads to bedtime, so you don’t have the same quality time in the evenings,” she says.

What do you think are the main benefits of raising children in Switzerland? Let us know here.

Member comments

  1. I love CH. great place.I agree with first 3 points in this article, but since when kids come home for lunch is a good thing? Swiss school system is nightmare for working parents.

  2. I wrote the same to the local team… The coming home would probably work for us when my daughter is bigger, but since she’s not, how can mothers be expected to work? This seems more in tune with 1919 than in 2019… My wife is even considering than just to homeschool, but that’s nearly impossible then in Schaffhausen. Another topic for another thread at the local! 🙂

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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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