Along with glistening white peaks, chalets overloaded with flowers, succulent cheeses and cool, inviting lakes, "Switzerland", for most people evokes quality, security and tradition. These are qualities of which Swiss boarding schools are proud and which play an essential role in Swiss private education.
Private schools have a long tradition in Switzerland and play an important part in the overall educational system. The first private schools were opened at the end of the 19th century. Many of them are a direct reflection of the foremost efforts of educationalists such as Pestalozzi, Father Girard, Maria Montessori and Rudolf Steiner and their successors such as Bovet, Feriere and Piaget -- figures whose impact on the pedagogic of education has extended far beyond Switzerland's border.
It was actually through the country's historical development that Switzerland acquired a reputation as a center of education. It was a reputation that spread rapidly throughout Europe and beyond. Any good family wishing to round off their children's education would tend to look to Switzerland to do so -- especially if the offsprings were expected to obtain a grounding in French, too as in those days the social status was of immense importance and would determine the kind of education the child would receive.
Today, there are many boarding schools throughout Switzerland, each with their own identity and their own particular strengths. Every school is different, whether it be in terms of the programs they offer, their location or their student body. Yet, what they all share is a commitment to quality and to developing the potential of the students entrusted to them.
But why would a student choose a school in Switzerland as opposed to one in another country? Firstly, the location, Switzerland itself. Switzerland is a country known for its high standards. Aside from the breath-taking natural beauty, visitors are always impressed by the efficiency, the hospitality, the courtesy and the law-abiding citizens they meet. In a country where over 20% of the population are immigrants, they feel safe and at ease with the various cultures they encounter every day.
Furthermore, the proximity of Switzerland to other European countries enhances the feeling of "internationalism", whilst stimulating the learning of other languages. Secondly, the tradition of education is such that Swiss schools have for many years been considered the best. The "finishing schools" of yesteryear have evolved, many into regular high schools, whilst those which remain have adapted their programmes to the fast-moving, technological world in which we live. In short, the foundations remain but the buildings have been renovated.
Thirdly, the wide choice of schools and the flexibility offered means that Switzerland has a school for everyone. Some offer British or American programmes, some bilingual programmes. Some of the schools start with students at the age of 9, whilst others begin at 12 and go up to 18. Some are in the mountainous areas, others in city suburbs; some are small and family owned, others may be a bit larger.
Fourthly, a Swiss boarding school offers a global perspective on education blending with quality of life and Swiss hospitality for a positive learning experience. Classrooms become global villages. A typical Swiss boarding school of some 300 students may have as many as 30 different nationalities under one roof.
Potential students should aim to visit as many schools as possible in order to find the right environment, which corresponds to their future plans. The renown of Swiss private education is that it is tailor-made. Student programmes are personalized and the small class sizes allow rapid progress to be made and the students to be challenged. Most schools provide varied extra-curricular activities outside the classroom and a range of excursions so as to encourage all-round development. Many students will complete their secondary education in one establishment so the links forged between the student and the school are profound and long-lasting.
Knowing how difficult it could be at the beginning to search for the right school interested parents may contact the Swiss Federation of Private Schools (www.swiss-schools.ch) which provides a full list of all its members. Or as a first port of call, the Trade Office of Swiss Industries (TOSI) in Taipei can offer brochures/information of many of the schools. It can also give details of the agencies with which the schools work, or the student may wish to contact the school direct. Students should inquire about official accreditations of the school, which may facilitate the selection process.
Many schools organise summer schools in July and August, which can provide a taste of boarding school life and most will gladly provide contact details of current or recent students from Taiwan who can be contacted to share their own experiences. One thing is for certain: wherever a student chooses to study, a Swiss private school experience is an education for life and a passport to opportunity.
The CIA has a message for Chinese government officials worried about their place in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) government: Come work with us. The agency released two Mandarin-language videos on social media on Thursday inviting disgruntled officials to contact the CIA. The recruitment videos posted on YouTube and X racked up more than 5 million views combined in their first day. The outreach comes as CIA Director John Ratcliffe has vowed to boost the agency’s use of intelligence from human sources and its focus on China, which has recently targeted US officials with its own espionage operations. The videos are “aimed at
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo on Friday expressed concern over the rate at which China is diversifying its military exercises, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Saturday. “The rates of change on the depth and breadth of their exercises is the one non-linear effect that I’ve seen in the last year that wakes me up at night or keeps me up at night,” Paparo was quoted by FT as saying while attending the annual Sedona Forum at the McCain Institute in Arizona. Paparo also expressed concern over the speed with which China was expanding its military. While the US
SHIFT: Taiwan’s better-than-expected first-quarter GDP and signs of weakness in the US have driven global capital back to emerging markets, the central bank head said The central bank yesterday blamed market speculation for the steep rise in the local currency, and urged exporters and financial institutions to stay calm and stop panic sell-offs to avoid hurting their own profitability. The nation’s top monetary policymaker said that it would step in, if necessary, to maintain order and stability in the foreign exchange market. The remarks came as the NT dollar yesterday closed up NT$0.919 to NT$30.145 against the US dollar in Taipei trading, after rising as high as NT$29.59 in intraday trading. The local currency has surged 5.85 percent against the greenback over the past two sessions, central
RSS