We will be moving from Sweden to the Lausanne area in a few months. And we are very excited about it! We have 2 kids (6 and 8) and we are looking for housing in/around Lausanne. Of course we are worried about the kids and how they will adapt to the new environment and language.
We've heard many good things about the newcomers program that the schools in Lausanne have for children who don't speak the language. By any chance any of you know or have experience on how this system works in the municipalities around Lausanne (mont-sur-Lausanne, Prilly, Renens, Pully...), I mean if they are good, bad, better than in Lausanne or worse?
Overall I hear the more villagey areas are better for public school due to smaller class sizes and less languages and nationalities for the teachers to deal with... But it would be great to hear actual experiences!
We are located not very far from Lausanne in the neighbor canton - Valais in a small town Martigny. I can tell a bit about my experience here. We mowed here 8 months ago. I have three kids and two of them- 5 and 7 years old - now attend a local public school. My youngest now goes to class 2 H, my oldest to 4H. Kids love the school very much. Teachers are extremely nice and helpful. My oldest daughter every week several times goes to learn French with French teacher and this is organized be the school and takes part during the classes. Now my kids have attended school for approx. 4 months so far and they are able to understand quite a lot and speak a bit of French.
Thanks CuppaTea and Skripstiite! Now we are leaning towards living outside Lausanne. Maybe a small village. Seems Lausanne might be a little overloaded with foreign children. And of course rent is lower in the outskirts.
Or you could also look into living in France as the school system is somewhat different than in CH. AFAIK, the hours are more regular which in Swiss schools they are not always. The French system is good. I tutor school-aged children although they are older than yours. Anyway, it might be an option you have not yet thought of. Thousands of people commute daily from the Pays de Gex to Lausanne [if that is where you will be working]. Cost of living in France is very much less expensive, as is housing, with the latter more readily available. In any case, GOOD LUCK
I've heard not-so-good things about the French school system... I hear it's not as conducive for encouraging critical thinking and is more old-fashioned in teaching styles with little care for the emotional wellbeing of the children.
Might not be accurate of course, just what I've heard.
We hear {read}? what you say, but is this not a bit of a sweeping generalisation?
French schools that abut Switzerland are normally conceived as being exceptionally good - at least this has been my personal experience when tutoring the older students for their Bac.
Yes it's a total generalisation But surely the French "system" is applicable to all of, erm, France? I hear about long days from a very young age, rote learning, lots of home work, high pressure from early on... Might be a generalisation but if that's The Way School Happens In France, then perhaps a generalisation is appropriate??
The Lausanne public school system is fine but it's what you make of it too. A large portion of the student body does not have French as a mother tongue so teachers do have to contend with that. Nonetheless, it is a well-rounded, holistic curriculum that they offer. If you are after a less diverse student body, aim for communes outside of Lausanne. In the end, it will depend on your child. Good Luck!
I tutor many school children at all levels from across the border, and I am afraid I agree that the system is very dry, with a lot of rote learning and little independent thinking or encouragement to use imagination, etc.
The BAC for languages is dire - hardly any oral or aural content- and very little effective communication, just nit picking on points of grammar which are totally irrelevant- just to trip them up. Same for history. And of course massive pressure to pass exams for Prep schools.
I agree with Odile - the French school curriculum is much heavier on academics. The Swiss curriculum seems to allow for other types of education - sewing and ice skating for example.