The one dilemma that many expat parents living in Switzerland will face is their children’s education. Choosing between sending your child to either a Swiss school or an international school is quite a big decision. Our goal at Living in Luzern is to help you on this path, by providing you with some information to start off your own research. Every wednesday over the next four weeks, we are going to run a series of posts related to children’s education in Switzerland.
Our first post is the great debate of Swiss schools versus international schools. There is no doubt that the international community in Luzern is growing: no fewer than 13* nationalities were represented by those who filled out the Living in Luzern School Survey 2013.
For multicultural families, deciding on their children’s education is a top priority. In our survey, we found that one of the most important determinants as to whether a child went to the local Swiss school or an international school was how long families intended on staying in Luzern.
*French, British, American, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Swiss, Canadian, Cuban, Australian, Peruvian, Italian and Portuguese.
The case for a local Swiss school
The top 3 reasons families choose to integrate in a local Swiss school:
- Location
- Sense of Community
- Language Development
What do families whose children attend a Swiss school have to say?
- “Extremely happy. Our son’s ability to integrate with other children in the neighbourhood has made both his and our transition much easier.”
- “They are really helpful with integrating my children into the community. All the teachers we have so far are very dedicated, attentive, encouraging. And they really give the children a great sense of independence.”
The case for an international school
The top 3 reasons families choose an international school:
- Class Size
- Curriculum
- Facilities
What do families whose children attend an international school have to say?
- “Extremely happy. Instead of teaching children old-fashioned academic knowledge that they will never use in real life, an International Baccalaureate prepares them for life; teaching them to be confident, to think out of the box, to challenge teachers and to be open-minded and tolerant.”
- “I feel the international school that my child attends is well rounded and in addition, caters to a variety of learning styles.”
