Travelling without a valid ticket on public transport has just got more expensive. From April 2019 onward anyone who is caught without a ticket on any type of public transport will be entered into a register, if it’s a first time it will cost CHF 100.-; second time CHF 140.-; third time CHF 170.-. Meaning that should you decide to take a bus, train, tram without buying a ticket you would end up paying CHF 410.- for your troubles. Every year over 800 000 people are caught without tickets and it costs companies several million francs. There are some great apps to help make sure that you always have a ticket. We explain how public transport works here and the SBB app has been reviewed here.
There is more and more bilingual tea in the secondary pillar of education. Not only are children able to do their Matura at the Kantonschule in English and German but there also is the possibility for children in technical high schools to learn in both languages. A third of classes are taught in English and students are encouraged to discuss and write in English. Teachers say that the advantages are multi-fold. On the one hand there is the obvious advantage of getting an excellent opportunity to improve their English, but also the students are more concentrated and finds the classes more interesting. On the downside teachers are having to teach the same classes in both languages to make sure that all students understand the topic and are prepared for their exams. This could also mean that potentially students doing an apprenticeship would be able to do it abroad as well as in Switzerland. This programme has been running for 5 years now, and is proving popular with the students. At this stage it is still run on a volunteer basis but there is possibility that as of next school year this bilingual education might be mandatory.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Saying of the day: “E Schwalbe macht no ke Summer.”, Seeing a swallow doesn’t mean it’s summer yet.[/perfectpullquote]
