snickerplum Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 I haven't done much research on the area, but if we can't homeschool it's a deal breaker for me. Anyone aware of homeschooling laws in Switzerland? There are lots of pros to moving, but there are a lot of pros to staying. :) This is a hard one, but what an opportunity! Also, have you known of anyone who has lived in Switzerland? It would be nice to get the feel of things from someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_JWM Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 This is what HSLDA says: http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/Switzerland/200312290.asp Best to look into whichever canton you'll be in. This site says that they may be more relaxed towards international families who won't be there permanently. http://www.cruxmove.com/SwissHomeSchooling.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangerine Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 I looked into it a bit since DH works for a company that is headquartered there. My understanding (which may be questionable) is that the canton government is quite strong, and the overarching government less so. Kind of the reverse of federal and state in the US. So it is canton by canton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickerplum Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 We'd be in the canton of Schaffhausen I think. The pictures I've seen are quite pretty. Our state is pretty "easy" and if I had a lot of restrictions it would be quite a change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Mae Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 If I were you I would contact the embassy and ask them if home schooling is legal there. I would take everything you see about it on line with a pinch of salt. I used to live in Spain where home schooling is officially allowed but in practice they rarely give permission. Here in Ireland home schooling is legal but must be done through English and/or Gailge. Each European country has its on set of regulations regarding home schooling. Some are more rigid about it than others. If this is a deal breaker for you, I would try contacting the department of education in Switzerland and asking them about it. You may want to ask specific questions such as whether it matters what language you are learning through, whether you have to pass state set exams, what the assessment process is like, etc. I'm sure you have your own set of questions to ask. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Here's a couple of links: http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/homeschoolingch http://www.bildungzuhause.ch/ It is very dependent on the Canton. One thing for sure, you want to live in Switzerland, not Germany (which is right there). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Oh, and all/some of those free ebooks of vintage textbooks are not available there. Download them before you leave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 My brother lives there and homeschools. It is easy if you are in a homeschool friendly canton, difficult if you are not. You would need to research it before moving. My brother lives in the Canton of Vaud. He and his family love it, although the cost of living is very expensive compared to here. That is probably the biggest drawback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickerplum Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 Thank you for your thoughts and links. :) It's going to be tough to decide. I wonder about our daughter with food allergies and how that might play out. I've heard the cost of living is crazy. And you have to get used to places opening and closing at odd hours. It seems like an adventure. Do we want to take an adventure with 4 little ones? :) It would also mean quite a bit of travel for my husband, so the children and I would be there alone some. And I'm pretty sure we won't find a home as large as our current one. Lots to consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeslieAnneLevine Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 I homeschooled in the Vaud canton for awhile--it's supposed to be the easy canton to homeschool in. In Vaud, you need to send a letter of intent each year and there is an annual home visit. I know homeschooling is very difficult in some of the German-speaking cantons so you would want to really research it. There is a homeschooling CH yahoo group. The cost of living is high, but your husband's pay should be higher too, so it might even out, especially if there is expat pay/housing allowance involved. TBH, I don't think I could live in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in CA Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 I homeschooled in the Vaud canton for awhile--it's supposed to be the easy canton to homeschool in. In Vaud, you need to send a letter of intent each year and there is an annual home visit. I know homeschooling is very difficult in some of the German-speaking cantons so you would want to really research it. There is a homeschooling CH yahoo group. The cost of living is high, but your husband's pay should be higher too, so it might even out, especially if there is expat pay/housing allowance involved. TBH, I don't think I could live in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Our pastor (in Vaud) homeschooled, and we knew an American woman (married to a Brit) who homeschooled. She might have lived in Valais, but I think it was Vaud. Yes, try Joan in Geneva, and there's someone else on these boards -- Monica? But I think she's also in the Suisse Romande. Huh. Why is there no one (that I can think of) on these boards who lives in the German-speaking part ... There must be someone! Well, you've gotten good advice. Varies by canton; probably easier for U.S. citizens; etc. Best wishes! We LOVED living in Switzerland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joan in GE Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 You could contact Joan in Geneva (I think that is here exact username) for some more info. Yes, try Joan in Geneva, and there's someone else on these boards -- Monica? But I think she's also in the Suisse Romande. Huh. Why is there no one (that I can think of) on these boards who lives in the German-speaking part ... There must be someone! Well, you've gotten good advice. Varies by canton; probably easier for U.S. citizens; etc. Thank you ladies! It's true - I don't know anyone from the German speaking cantons on the board either - at least they haven't revealed themselves to me.. But I heard the other day that there's another girl from CH who is doing OSU German...and will try to track her down.. http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/homeschoolingch Yes, if you join, you can ask about Schaffhausen - because I know nothing about the situation there. All I can say is that canton after German speaking canton is getting harder and harder to HE....I think the German situation is filtering down... About moving - it depends on the type of person you are...(presuming that HE is legal in that canton)... do you like adventure? do you want your world view to be enlarged? (the above can be trickier with little children as they can take so much time and energy - so it can be more overwhelming to move abroad) About young children going to school to learn foreign languages - the motto is that as quickly as they pick them up, they will forget them if not reinforced...would you have reinforcement upon returning to the US? Plus in the German speaking cantons, you have the problem of Swiss German...which means that young children have learned that at home and don't learn high German until they start school...so in the playground, they'll be speaking Swiss German while the classes will be in high German - which can make it quite confusing and hard to integrate for a child who is just learning both languages. I see your children are 7, 5, 3, and 2.... The 7 yo could well benefit from all the historical settings...if you are there several years, the 5 yo will be older and benefit as well... We've lived overseas for almost the entire lives of all our children and did extensive traveling when they were young....some remember it and some don't - I'd say that most don't for the younger years... If you handle stress and changes easily, then no problem...Perhaps your mother could come along to help with the children? or someone else? It is a completely unique experience to live overseas....looking at the US from across the ocean - things look quite different once you start to understand European politics/life-style, etc But I remember the first year we were here and we only had two young children and dh was traveling a lot...there was all this time spent just figuring out food stores, the area, local admin stuff, etc...That all takes time even in a culture you know. But if you don't know the language - it can be even more time consuming. I did know some French and I'm in the French speaking part, so I didn't have that to deal with as much....and I was still exhausted all the time... There are many more US products available these days - at least here - don't know about there....not that we use them often. But I remember the first years we were here....we were much more interested in them then..somehow they were reassuring...I don't know about Schaffhausen... What about your husband though? Is it a job that would be good for him? Is he quite attracted to the opportunity? If so, you can go along as his support and helper. I don't remember reading your posts before so can't say I know anything about you, your beliefs, etc which all come into play as well. HTH, Joan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickerplum Posted September 18, 2013 Author Share Posted September 18, 2013 Thank you, Joan! I grew up as an Air Force child, so moving is part of me. :) I joke that if I don't move every 3 years I start to get ancy. And I studied German in high school so I have a decent grasp of the language (although it's been a few years...). How is health care? Since we do have a daughter with allergies and one with a mild thyroid issue, we would be in need of a good clinic. I'm sure they have wonderful doctors, but are there many differences? We need to say yes or no to moving forward in the process by Friday (yikes!!), so I'm just trying to get as much info as I can. :) Again, thanks to all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joan in GE Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Then you should go to the other site that In the Great White North proposed - Bildung zu Hause and contact them asap about Schaffhausen......but ask on the Yahoo group too, just in case BzH is behind in correspondance... Happy moving if it works! Joan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Here's (somewhat dated) link of the cantonal homeschooling rules: http://www.cruxmove.com/SwissHomeSchooling.htm Here's Schaffhausen's law: http://rechtsbuch.sh.ch/fileadmin/Redaktoren/Dokumente/gesetzestexte/Band_4/410.100.pdf (Private Unterricht is Article 15.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joan in GE Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 No matter what the law says, (I don't know what it says since it was in a pdf which I couldn't copy into Google translate) you should check with locals because officials don't necessarily interpret what seems to be clear homeschool freedom in the same way we would (or possibly vice versa though I don't know of such a case except in Germany where there are a few home educators in spite of very clear laws against it). For a long time the canton of Fribourg had what looked like HE friendly laws on paper but no one was able to get permission to do it (except a rare case where the child was in school and had all kinds of serious problems and eventually they let him 'not go to school' - but it wasn't because they were going to open the door to others)... So please get in contact with people who know Schaffhausen! All the best, Joan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joan in GE Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Thank you, Joan! I grew up as an Air Force child, so moving is part of me. :) I joke that if I don't move every 3 years I start to get ancy. And I studied German in high school so I have a decent grasp of the language (although it's been a few years...). How is health care? Since we do have a daughter with allergies and one with a mild thyroid issue, we would be in need of a good clinic. I'm sure they have wonderful doctors, but are there many differences? We need to say yes or no to moving forward in the process by Friday (yikes!!), so I'm just trying to get as much info as I can. :) Again, thanks to all! Sorry, I forgot to answer about health care in the previous post.. I think it's ok - but don't have experience with your type of situation.....and it's hard for me to speak about the German speaking part of CH as I have so little experience. In some ways it's like another country :-)... Joan ETA - I don't know where your dh would work in Schaffhausen, but sometimes people live in another canton that is more homeschool friendly; again, you have to talk to the locals... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeslieAnneLevine Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Plus, the law as listed on the cruxmove site for Schaffhausen does not sound good to me. It sounds like you would need to get permission, which isn't a good sign. I hope bildung zu hause can help clarify this for you. Expats living in the area would be able to help a lot, I would think. Not with homeschooling info, perhaps, but with your other questions and concerns. You could try englishforum.ch if you haven't already. It's really too bad that they want an answer from you so quickly! Good luck with everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joan in GE Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 It sounds like you would need to get permission, which isn't a good sign. We have to in Geneva too. Primary school wasn't any problem but the middle school authorities really take advantage of some wording in the law to insist on kids taking their exams...Can be tricky... Are you still in CH? Joan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeslieAnneLevine Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Sorry, I forgot to answer about health care in the previous post.. I think it's ok - but don't have experience with your type of situation.....and it's hard for me to speak about the German speaking part of CH as I have so little experience. In some ways it's like another country :-)... Joan I agree. It's why I said I didn't know if I could live in the German speaking part, though I liked a lot about living in the French-speaking part. It seems like all the things I didn't like about living in CH are worse in the German part--rigidity/strictness, rules, fussy people, mild dislike or distrust of outsiders... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeslieAnneLevine Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 We have to in Geneva too. Primary school wasn't any problem but the middle school authorities really take advantage of some wording in the law to insist on kids taking their exams...Can be tricky... Are you still in CH? Joan I'm glad it works out pretty well in Geneva. It just seems iffy and I'd want some clarification (as you recommend). I'm in the U.S. now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joan in GE Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 I'm glad it works out pretty well in Geneva. It just seems iffy and I'd want some clarification (as you recommend). I'm in the U.S. now. Ok :-) I thought since you were posting now, you might be in the same time zone. I got more curious and typed the text into Google translate and saw that it says you have to follow the curriculum of the public school - that is concerning too. It all depends on how the officials are reading it... They might be very lax and say, as long as they can pass a test at the end of the year they're fine...or they might want more... But also they might be lax with foreigners who are just there for a short time. It would be impossible for foreign kids to take tests in German. And then they might accept testing results from a US test, or the results of a correspondence school...All things to find out... J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeslieAnneLevine Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Ok :-) I thought since you were posting now, you might be in the same time zone. I got more curious and typed the text into Google translate and saw that it says you have to follow the curriculum of the public school - that is concerning too. It all depends on how the officials are reading it... They might be very lax and say, as long as they can pass a test at the end of the year they're fine...or they might want more... But also they might be lax with foreigners who are just there for a short time. It would be impossible for foreign kids to take tests in German. And then they might accept testing results from a US test, or the results of a correspondence school...All things to find out... J. That was a reasonable thought, but no, I was just up too late. snickerplum, do you know how long you would stay in Switzerland if you decide to go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 No matter what the law says, (I don't know what it says since it was in a pdf which I couldn't copy into Google translate) you should check with locals because officials don't necessarily interpret what seems to be clear homeschool freedom in the same way we would Plus, the law as listed on the cruxmove site for Schaffhausen does not sound good to me. It sounds like you would need to get permission, which isn't a good sign. I hope bildung zu hause can help clarify this for you. Oh definitely! The law mentions "Private Unterricht" but certainly never says they have to allow it, or even spells out what the requirements are. Vague by any standards and probably dependent upon the whims of the local (town/school) officials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 I agree. It's why I said I didn't know if I could live in the German speaking part, though I liked a lot about living in the French-speaking part. It seems like all the things I didn't like about living in CH are worse in the German part--rigidity/strictness, rules, fussy people, mild dislike or distrust of outsiders... I agree with this in some ways and yet it bothers me. It's not really a fair characterization at all. Some people are like this anywhere. I actually found it just the opposite (German-speaking Swiss were friendly, helpful, welcoming, etc., more so than the French speaking), but then I don't speak French. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeslieAnneLevine Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 I agree with this in some ways and yet it bothers me. It's not really a fair characterization at all. Some people are like this anywhere. Sure, and it's not like that for everything or everyone, but Switzerland is pretty well known for being somewhat rigid and rule-oriented. That doesn't mean it's a bad place to live, but that these are a few of the "cons" while living there (for me). I lived there for several years and there were things I loved and things I didn't like so much. I actually found it just the opposite (German-speaking Swiss were friendly, helpful, welcoming, etc., more so than the French speaking), but then I don't speak French. :001_smile: I speak fluent French and don't speak much German at all, so that might be part of it. I am glad the German Swiss you knew were helpful and welcoming. I don't think the Swiss are rude or unhelpful though. I don't mean that they are unfriendly. It's not that. It's more that they aren't all that open, and it can be hard to break in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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