Can my child also attend a private secondary school?

In addition to public elementary school, there are various alternatives in Switzerland. These include private schools and international schools. In individual cantons or regions, there are also special public offerings such as art or sports schools, although these are not available nationwide and are often combined with regular school education. Home schooling can also be an alternative, but is regulated differently from canton to canton and in some cases is only permitted with a permit or is severely restricted.

Private secondary schools require a cantonal license to operate and are subject to state supervision. This supervision ensures that basic educational objectives and the welfare of children are guaranteed. Depending on the canton, approved private schools are kept in lists or registers that are not always publicly accessible. The requirements for teachers at private schools also vary from canton to canton and can range from formal licenses to recognized or equivalent qualifications.

There can be many reasons for attending a private secondary school:

• Child does not feel comfortable in public schools
• Bullying
• Underchallenge
• Lack of bilingual teaching
• Better development opportunities
• Range of sporting or artistic leisure activities
• Individual support
• Expanding talents
• Targeted work on weaknesses
• Train social skills
• Looking for the best support
• Educationally valuable everyday school life
• Free learning and open lessons
• Paving the way to grammar school retrospectively