school for 4 year old

Family, Education, Health and Pets
1
Hi,

I have posted many queries regarding my older 2 children. I was under the impression children in Swiss local schools started school at age 5 or 6. My youngest is 4 and I am wondering if I have to enroll her in school in September or not.

What is a creche? Is it a private nursery or part of local schools. Will my daughter be at a disadvantage if I do not enroll her in a creche? Aminah, my 4 year old, is very freindly, confident, and intelligent.

Mobeen

2
In the swiss-german part, she would go to a kindergarten, you would enrole her at the local council (gemeinde), most likely through a school secretary (schule-sekretariat)....

Kindergarten is not like school, it is more like a preschool, and kids come home at 12.

3
Perhaps this is the case in Horgen but it is not true for all of the Swiss German part. In my Gemeinde in Obwalden, kindergarten does not start until age 6 and the school days vary throughout the week (sometimes half days, sometimes full days though you do need to make arrangements for lunch).

To the OP, talk to the school secretary in the Gemeinde where you plan to move to find out what happens in your town. In mine, at age 4, the kid could go to the Chrippe (creche, nursery, whatever) which is beneficial to learn the language. This is private and you'll have to pay for it (~50 CHF for a half day to ~75 CHF for a full day). At age 5, the kid would go to Spielgruppe (two half days a week) and maybe spend some more time in the Chrippe. At age 6 they start kindergarten.

Edit: Oh, and please use the search function to read through previous threads on schooling. This topic has been discussed quite a lot already. Look at the "Similar Threads" at the bottom of this page to start.

4
While this is true in Kanton Obwalden, it is based on the Kanton, not the city. Kantons Aargau and Zurich do begin Kindergarten at age 4 if your child has reached this age by 30 April of the school year. But the number of days and times do vary city to city -- and even Kindergarten to Kindergaten within that city

5
Not true for Obwalden and it is probably best not to generalize. I have no idea where the OP is planning on living so he or she should speak to his/her Gemeinde.

6
For public schools in GVA, children start 1ere enfantine at age 4. And this means that if they turn 4 by 30 June (note, in past I belive this was 31 Oct., and it could apparently will change again with HarmoS, if this goes ahead). While school is technically not obligatory in GVA until age 6, nearly all (95%) start the enfantine classes thus it becomes more or less defacto mandatory in my view.

A creche (day care for babies/preschoolers) normally only goes until the start of 1ere enfantine, and while there are 4year olds there, that being for those kids that have late birthdays per the school year. In my experience a 4 year old will get very bored in a creche with generally all younger children. And that would also be dependent on if they would accept an older child in a creche, when normally they would be in school. Of course if there are developmental, behavioural, or pediagogal reasons for keeping one back, some expecptions could probably be made, but in this case, it seems your child is not in this category.

You did not mention the birthday, but if already 4, probably will have no problem with school in Sept. 2010

7
A creche is mostly used by parents that work or want to mingle their kids fullday with others.

Alternatives for mornings or afternoons only are playgroups.

my daugther went to a forestry playgroup and loved it :-)

8
The starting age for kindergarden will be the same thanks to Harmos... it is brought to 4 but kept 3 in Tessin. The cut off date will be moved to JUly 31st for all the cantons. I know that in Canton Bern, it will be done slowly. In the first year the cut off date will be moved from April 30th to May 31st then the 2nd year to June 31st etc... So in Summer 2013 all will be on the same level..

Harmos is definitely going ahead in Canton Bern!