Our son almost died last november by fracturing his neck and for 3 months he could barely do anything...they helped in school big time and he did not miss the whole year. They went out of their way to help him and support him. So for the right reasons they might help you. Maybe you can come up with a solution..I do not know but for the sake of your relationship with the school and the Gemeinde....play nice and fair
Well...dietiker...thanks for all the "thanks" you clicked bottom line I guess...nobody can blame you for trying but do not get your hopes high. My opinion...do it with the right steps without burning any bridges because even though you might get a NO you never know in the future what you need. Do not try to fool them or blame them because in the end it is their system and probably you will be staying in the Gemeinde for a while.
The child will be registered in Switzerland for immigration (permits) so that the duty to send it to school remains even for those two weeks. The duty of the school authorities is to find a school for it, not to comply to parents' orders regarding school choice. Most of the time, we don't notice it as it is also in the school authorities' interest to agree with the parents and as long as there is nothing against it, the choice of parents is as good as any other decision.
In your hypothetical case though, the school authorities will probably see a huge problem. You can't just manipulate the rules to your advantage: either the school accept these two weeks time off or the student goes to school. What is easier to argue is that a family event might be worth one or two days off for practical reasons due to the travel arrangements. But that means traveling extra for the event, not extending holidays.
I am not against anything personally, here I'm just trying to confront people with the probable mindset of the school. You'll have to discuss it with the school in any case. Good luck with it, I hope we could help you having a clearer view of what awaits you.
One more thing, one of my friend offered to the teacher that her daughter will do a project on where she has been and give a presentation in front of the class. The teacher was pleased about that. You might want to offer that too. BTW the both cases I mentioned earlier were asked by the fathers, you might want to involve your husband too. I don't know if it's relevant but why not...
Don't quote me on this but I've heard of a family that went on vacations with an open ended airplane ticket, then on the day children were supposed to be back at school they called the teacher still from their vacation location to communicate that one of them was suddenly very ill and therefore unable to return until the health situation improved.
Not something I'd do, but some people will do whatever it takes to extend a trip abroad.
How do you plan on de-registering "for a short space of time"?
To deregister, you need to state where you are moving to. If that's not in Switzerland, you will have to finalize your taxes and give up your permits if you are not C or Swiss, as well as cancel your Swiss health insurance, etc.
Tom
Hi Tom,
Go to the Gemeindehaus and say that the kids are going to be abroad for a while. I have considered moving our boys from here for a short space of time for other reasons, which I don't want to elaborate on, but it would mean abmelding them. I would still be registered as living here. There are situations when this may be needed, children can live with other family members outside of Switzerland if the need arose. I can give a UK address, Kids pay no tax, I am not sure on the health insurance, I don't think it is compulsory to cancel it. Yes it is extreme but if needs must then you have to make those choices. I am curious about people finalising their taxes before they leave. I am sure in most cases this happens later.
My daughter went to study in the US for six months three years ago, she never de-registered here (nor did she need to).
Tom
Well yes school issues may be nasty stuff, in CH and around the world,
nevertheless I would try to discuss a request right flat out with the school's responsible (or secretary or whoever) asking for their advice, rules and other.
One point is e.g. that children that go on holidays during school years might attract the envy of their schoolmates and have a weaker position when turning back ...
Depends maybe upon the pupil's grades, parents' collaboration and others ...
cheers
Thanks to all for the advice. We are planning to go to India.
Thanks a lot. We live in Binningen as well.
I got 2 weeks off from kindergarten this year for our vacation. My childs kindergarten mate got more than a month off to goto U.S during christmas. But they had a meeting with the school director. One of my friend got a week off for her daughter in 4th grade. It depends on the teacher. So better ask them.
One of my son's friends got a week off before the summer holidays last year in 5th grade so it is possible.
I think it really depends on the commune and their policies for granting leave. I belive that if you request more than a certain amount if time (a week in our case) then the decision no longer rests with the school but with the communal/cantonal school board.
My son is in 6th grade (8th Harmos) now so secondary school and we were told at the beginning of the year that taking the day off before the summer holidays would be allowed, other days needed to be approved by the teacher/director and for absences of more than a week then demand would be refferred to a higher authority. As far as I am aware the so called joker days don't exist here but things do9 seem to vary from canton to canton and things do seem to be very different in the French speaking part rather than the German speaking part.
It's not only in Switzerland where they can be tough.
Our daughter in law in the UK requested an extra day at the end of the Christmas holidays (a Wednesday) for their six year old daughter and was refused. They were over here visiting us and were only flying home on the Wednesday morning but a family visit to see grandparents whom she only sees very rarely wasn't a good enough reason so she will have an unauthorised absence on her record. Her mother was quite miffed as she had gone through all the proper channels well in advance tio ask for the permission only to be refused. When her daughter went back in to school on the Thursday half the class was missing and none of them had requested the time off. Sometimes it just doesn't pay to be honest Had she known our daughter in law would have just called to say her daughter was sick on that day.
They indeed can't force it. But if you register the child again, the can't and won't guarantee you a place in the same class.
I am not too sure how the Airports in Switzerland are with before/after travelling with school kids holiday thing. But I do know that friends of ours had to get a written OK from the school that needed to be shown at the check-in to prove that they were allowed to travel with her for the time after the holiday. This was however in Germany so maybe things are different here.
Two weeks is a long time and I am also not sure you will get the time free. Maybe press on the tear button but just taking them out, getting them written sick or "abmeldung" is really the wrong thing to do.