If you are from a country where children spending lunch at school is normal & expected, then you know that the first school year in Switzerland takes some adjustment. For example, in Australia, children go to public schools generally from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm every school day & family & work life function around this. Children take their own lunch or can buy something from a canteen & the teachers are on a roster to monitor morning tea & lunch times, commonly known as ‘playground duty’.
There have been talks about having lunch at school, or day school, for many years in Switzerland, but as tradition goes with the Swiss, these changes take time to come to fruition. But times are a-changin’ here in Luzern. The local Luzern election in June 2024 had 79,319% voters approve the 44 million Swiss francs for after school care & introduction of automatic lunch registrations. The voter turnout was 48% with 19,585 voting in favour of the changes & 5,101 voting against.
Luzern’s mayor, Beat Züsli (SP), was apparently delighted & said, “Voluntary participation was important for acceptance.” He confirmed that the program will be rolled out in stages from 2025 to 2030 according to the Luzern Zeitung article: Die Stadt Luzern kann ihre Tagesstrukturen ausbauen (The city of Lucerne can expand its day structures).
From August 2026, three primary schools in Luzern are implementing the new day school model: Fluhmühle, Littau Dorf and St. Karli schools will be the first to transition. Staffeln and Wartegg will follow from the 2027/28 school year onwards and all primary schools in Luzern are expected to be converted by 2030.
Primary school children will be automatically enrolled for lunch on the days they have lessons in the afternoon & the cost will be CHF 6 per day. For the days when they have no lessons in the afternoon & are registered to attend the current school lunch facilities (often called Hort) the charge will continue to be income-dependent. If they are not registered for lunch they will continue to go home as previously. Parents will also be able to deregister their child/children from school lunch if preferred on the Klapp app or in writing if the parents/guardians don’t have the app.
The implementation of the new day school, is not without its positive objectives:
- offer children a good daily routine and enable a holistic education;
- contribute to equal opportunities;
- promote the compatibility of family and career
The new day school for primary students will include more uniform timetables with afternoon lessons ending at the same time & will continue for each school year making the timetable more predictable therefore long term planning will be easier for schools & families. Lunch breaks will be shortened from 120 minutes to 85 minutes & there will be additional extracurricular activities offered.
Secondary schools will not change & will remain with the current program of registration with their schools for lunch at school (Hort), however, this availability is for a designated number of students & preference is for working parents & single parents. Those who are not registered will continue to go home, or, as they quite often do, go to a local Migros, Coop or into the city depending on how long their lunch break is.
Pre-schools also remain the same & will not be introduced to the new day school model.
Here is a short video with English subtitles with a brief explanation of the changes:
Einführung Tagesschule Luzern (Englisch) (Introduction to day school Lucerne (English)).
Also, check the Frequently Asked Questions on this page if you do have any questions, although it is in German, translate with DeepL, ChatGPT or your go to translator: Tagesschule.
Articles referenced: Tagesschule, Etappierte Einführung der Tagesschule ab Sommer 2026, Die Stadt Luzern kann ihre Tagesstrukturen ausbauen, Stadt Luzern führt bis 2030 in allen Schulhäusern Tagesschulen ein
Header image from Pexels: Yan Krukau
