School for the children

If you have children, then you may already be looking into suitable schools. School is mandatory in the canton of Geneva from the age of four, meaning your child must be four years old on 31 July of the school year. The rule is applied strictly, and a child turning four on 1 August for instance will not be able to attend the first year of school. The public system does not offer any schooling before this age whereas most private schools do. However, it is possible for parents registered in Geneva to apply for public day-care for children from three months up to the age of four, although the places are in high demand and very scarce. It is advisable to apply for childcare as soon as you know where you will be living. The fees are calculated according to the parents’ total income. Further information on public preschools can be found on the website of the canton (Bureau d’Information Petite Enfance) (in French). 

Local public schools have good teaching and excellent facilities, foreign students get extra language assistance during a transition period of one year and the schooling is free. There is no choice of school, admission is based on your Swiss place of residence, so your local address determines what school your children will attend. In order to attend a public school in Geneva, your child must be registered in the canton of Geneva. School registration usually starts at the beginning of March for the new school year, which begins at the end of August. If you arrive in Geneva after that, or in the middle of the school year, you need to contact the school which is close to your home. Further information on registration can be found on the website of the canton of Geneva. 

Good to know: foreign parents who do not speak French are entitled to French classes when their child is in the public system. Registration and further information can be found online. 

The local schools are generally very good, but most employees opt for an international school for their kids. Switzerland and Geneva in particular have a long tradition of international schools, the first international school which opened in 1924 still exists today (Ecolint). Private and international schools have annual fees ranging from approximately CHF 15’000 to CHF 30’000+ per student/year. The fees vary by grade level and by school. There are also costs that are not included in basic international school fees. These can include: meals, lunchtime supervision, after-school activities, after-school supervision, school trips and transport etc. 

There are many different international schools for their children such as Institut Florimont, the International School of Geneva (Ecolint) with three campuses, ISM International School, Institut International de Lancy, Geneva English School, Swedish School of Geneva, Institut International Notre Dame du Lac, Ecole Moser, Ecole Montessori Nations, Deutsche Schule Genf, Ecole Töpffer, Collège du Léman, to name a few. A list of international schools in Geneva may be found on this link: https://www.international-schools-database.com/in/geneva.

The public educational system in the canton of Vaud is very similar to the one in the canton of Geneva. However, the level of mathematics is not to underestimate for older children. German starts already (in a playful way) in kindergarten. There are several private schools like Ecole Moser Nyon (based on Swiss curriculum, bilingual F/E, F/German), La Côte International School in Aubonne, The English School of Lausanne, etc.