Fast forward a few months later (sooner than expected), I now teach 3-5 year olds at a bilingual private school. I assumed that most international and bilingual schools required teachers to speak both German and English. Well, I was wrong. I sent out my resume to 10+ schools; received responses immediately; went on interviews; received multiple offers and landed a job.
So let me run down a few unique differences between Swiss and American schools:
1. My first brush with the education system came not too long after I moved to Switzerland. You can imagine my surprise when I found out that full time cashiers at the local grocery store make more money than I did as a first year teacher in the US. Considering that I worked in one of the highest paying states for teachers, I was blown away.
2. Schools do not have cafeterias. Children go home for at least a 1 1/2+ lunch break. This means that most Swiss mothers do not work or work part time when their children are young. (FYI- the average married Swiss mother works 14 hours a week)
3. There are no government funded day cares nor preschools. They are all private with a typical price range of 1500.00 CHF a month for one day a week attendance to 2700.00 CHF a month for full time attendance.
4. Swiss children do not learn how to read until the age of 6 turning 7; compared to the US which is age 5. Swiss children spend the first few years in school playing, learning to socialize, learning how to behave as students, etc. (I love this!)
5. For public schools and some private, Wednesdays are 1/2 days. Also, many schools operate on block schedules, meaning students may spend all day at school part of the week and 1/2 days the remaining days of the week (hence, again, making it difficult for mom to work).
6. Students spend a lot of time off school grounds on field trips (I think this has to do with the Swiss' love of fresh air) Therefore, on many weekdays I see the streets and trains jammed backed with students and frustrated teachers.
7. The Swiss have many public holidays and school closings (many closings are designed for family holidays - the Swiss are very family-oriented).
This bit American kids will love. The Swiss finish school at the age of 15 or 16 (FYI - 15 being one year before the legal drinking age of 16 for beer, wine, and cider). The catch is that they must work or gain an apprenticeship. If they are unable to get either they must go to school for another year at the parent's expense. Most Swiss students attend vocational school or develop a skill through apprenticeship after graduating.
Ciao.
9 comments:
Schule that's cute. I like how they make them work or gwt an apprentice.
@T
I think parents, teachers, citizens, taxpayers, homeowners, pedestrians..basically everyone can appreciate that...lol
Wow, that's pretty interesting. How long do they usually do their apprenticeship before going off to college?
I met this Swiss guy when I was travelling, he said very very few people in Switzerland go to uni because the government tries to get as many people as possible to go off on apprenticeships. So only the very smartest and brightest in the country end up at uni, which is majorly paid for by the state.
Interesting system....although I would prefer to go to uni myself, especially if you want to work internationally. It might be harder to explain why you didn't go to university to a recruiter or company in another country just because they might not understand the Swiss system.
@Back
Uh, I hvnt heard that. Now I have to ask few ppl if it's true and what their take is on that. I now that only 30% of Swiss go to Uni. I believe the US is a little over 30%, as well. But there is a big difference btwn 30% of US population and 30% of Swiss population. University in Europe incl Swiss is much less compared to US cost.
@me
Apprenticeships are for years, depending on the profession. Too long in my opinion. But they dont go to college afterwards. It's on the job training.
I just came across your blog, and I am very intrigued. My aunt moved to Switzerland over 25 yrs and teaches English. I believe she is going to retire next year.
Is there an age or educational level requirement to teach English? Currently, I am majoring in Psychology with a minor in French. I should be finished with my French studies in three semesters and would love to teach English. I was thinking of getting my TEFL first, and then relocate to a French speaking country.
Hello Anonymous,
How are you?
First, as far as Switzerland is concerned, it is not that easy to get a residents permit. Although there is a high demand for native English speaking teachers, I don't think you will have an easy time getting a work visa for teaching English. But it's great that you speak French. You can possibly get a job in the French speaking part of Switzerland. And many international companies are located in Switzerland (Zurich, Basel, Geneva) that are solely English speaking. If you wish to teach English to adults a TEFL will be necessary, but only offer part time gigs. My suggestion (if you wish to live/teach in Europe) is to find out if the TEFL school will assist you with finding a job in a French speaking nation. Teaching English to children is in high demand, but most places will not sponsor a visa. B/c I am married to a Swiss my working visa in "more secure". If you have anymore questions, please ask. I hope this helps.
Thank you for replying to me. I kind of figured that since I am not an "EU" citizen, it would be rather difficult for me to seek employment. I will definitely ask the TEFL program about job assistance.
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