route prepares students for university via the Matura leaving certificate. Most students choose the highly regarded VET, a combination of learning in school and on-the-job.
WHY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS SUIT THE GLOBALLY MOBILE While standards are high in the state system, most expats choose international schools where lessons are taught in English and the education is transferable. According to ISC Research there are 103 English medium international schools in Switzerland educating 29,200 children between the ages of 3 and 18. There is a huge choice of curriculums and schools on
offer, from American and British to Japanese and French, with fees for day schools hovering between CHF30,000 and 38,000 in the senior years. “Switzerland has long had one of the largest
numbers of international schools in Europe,” says Frazer Cairns, chair of the Swiss Group of International Schools (SGIS) which has 54 member schools across the country. “Families choose them for the opportunity to learn in English, skilled teachers, smaller class sizes and environments that value a holistic approach.” Unlike in other parts of the world, Switzerland’s
international schools are mainly patronised by expats, with fewer locals, says Nalin Cook from ISC Research. In some cantons, including Zurich, Swiss children are not allowed to attend international schools. The last few years has been tough for some
international schools and several smaller ones have been forced to close. “Companies are less prepared to pay for education, or they offer a limited package for two or three years,” says Swiss Education Consulting’s Busse. “After that some expats pay their own fees and others try and enroll in local schools, but unless children speak fluent German it is hard to switch.”
SCHOOLS IN ZURICH Zurich is Switzerland’s largest city and has a population of 435,000, about 30 per cent of which is international. The city is one of the most important financial centres in Europe with a growing fintech hub and home to the Swiss stock exchange and global Swiss companies such as UBS, Swiss Re and Zurich. According to a recent report by research institute BAK Economics, Zurich’s financial hub generates one in 10 jobs in the region and employs 97,000 people. Zurich has plenty of good state schools, but teaching
is in Swiss-German, making it inaccessible for many international families, who often prefer the city’s international schools. With over 20 in the city and surrounding area, there is plenty of choice. “Parents ask me which schools are the most academic,
but it is impossible to answer,” says Busse. “The most established offer a solid education but because the student body is diverse, and many do not have English as a first language, schools can have good results one year, but not the next. It depends on the cohort.” One of the biggest is Zurich International School,
based on three campuses and educating 1300 students aged between three and 18. Around one third of pupils are from the UK or US, lessons are in English and most study for the IB diploma. Founded in 1963, the school
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recently opened a new middle and upper school campus with swish facilities including a new media centre, two concert halls and expanded sport facilities with an indoor gym and full-size pitch. The Inter-Community School Zurich is the oldest
international school in the Zurich area, founded in 1960, and the only school in Zurich offering a through school IB education including primary, middle years and the IB diploma. For students seeking a British education, the
International School Zurich North (ISZN), part of the global Cognita Schools Group, was established in 1999. It offers IGCSE and A levels, alongside the IB diploma. Hull’s School, founded in 1945, also has a curriculum
based on IGCSE and A levels, educating 400 teenagers from Years 10 to 13. Most of the students are native German speakers and Swiss nationals. For bilingual children the SIS Swiss International
Schools Group has eights school in Switzerland including four in the Zurich region providing a K-12 bilingual education in German and English. At the Swiss International School in Zurich students graduate with either the Swiss Matura or the IB diploma.
SCHOOLS IN GENEVA French speaking Geneva is Switzerland’s second largest city with a population of 202,000. Around 40 per cent come from outside Switzerland, representing 189 nationalities. Many work in in the city’s financial centre or in one of the UN organisations that have headquarters in the city, including the World Health Organisation. According to Geneve Internationale the city is home to 39 international organisations and 432 NGOs which account for one in ten jobs. The financial centre also has many international employees: according to the Geneva Financial Centre,
Below: Students from Zurich International School
THINK GLOBAL PEOPLE EDUCATION
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