Family Guide Northwestern Switzerland Kindergarten and Primary School . HarmoS At last, today is the day you have been . Kindergarten waiting for: your child’s first day in . When does compulsory schooling kindergarten. You have probably been start? . Adaptation classes (Einführungs- / mentally preparing for this day for a while Einschulungsklassen) and are looking forward to it. Some kids . The school system in Northwestern can barely wait: they finally get to be just Switzerland like their big brother or sister and go to . Conflicts between family and kindergarten! school In all cantons of Northwestern Switzerland compulsory schooling begins with kindergarten. The two-year kindergarten now belongs to the primary level and is considered the first stage of schooling. HarmoS HarmoS is an intercantonal agreement on the harmonization of the compulsory school period. With HarmoS, two years of kindergarten become mandatory. Page 1 of 8 Family Guide Northwestern Switzerland The minimum age to start Kindergarten (4 heard before. Let your «grown-up» years of age), and the date (31st of July) kindergarten kid teach you! by which the children must have reached that age, are being harmonized in the To prepare for the process of letting go, Cantons that have signed the agreement. why not enroll your child in a playgroup? These rules must be put in place by the This is an ideal environment for children to beginning of the school year 2015/2016. explore new things and meet children of You can find out whether your canton has their own age. In playgroups, up to ten signed HarmoS, and how far it has gone children aged three and older come with the harmonization, on the website of together, play games and develop their the Swiss Conference of Cantonal personalities and social skills, such as: Ministers of Education (EDK). • building a relationship with a new caregiver (letting go) Solothurn, Basel-Land and Basel-Stadt have signed the HarmoS agreement. • experiencing group activities Aargau has not signed the agreement so far (as of September 2015), but has • learning to fend for oneself nevertheless introduced the two-year mandatory kindergarten. • developing self-confidence • developing intellectual and motor Kindergarten skills For all the happy excitement, starting kindergarten also triggers feelings of loss, • discovering new material and fear and insecurity – not only for the child, games but for parents, too. Many a mum and dad Many municipalities provide early find it difficult to be separated from their language training in kindergarten or even child, entrusting their little boy or girl to the in playgroup – for immigrants in care of strangers. There may be tears, particular, but by no means not only for though they usually dry quickly as soon as them. Children participate in weekly you walk out of view. Try out what feels classes where they develop their best for you. Create your own ritual. Some linguistic abilities in a playful way. The parents like to play with their child for a purpose is to help non-German-speaking while before leaving, others give their baby children make friends with German a peck on the cheek. Whatever you do, speakers and pave the way for a smooth never leave your child without saying transition into primary school. good-bye. Contact your local council (Gemeinde) for Once your child has settled into more information on early intervention kindergarten, he or she has taken a big programs step towards independence. This «growth» will soon become apparent. Your child will proudly demonstrate new skills, sing songs and tell stories you have never Page 2 of 8 Family Guide Northwestern Switzerland The children receive targeted support in Mandatory Promotion of German one small groups. Most children benefit from year before Kindergarten in Basel-Stadt this «gentle» transition into school and The Canton of Basel-Stadt supports the move from the two-year adaptation class acquisition of German by children in order into primary two. to ensure a smooth transition into primary school. Children who barely speak Basel-Stadt and Solothurn do not have German have to attend a playgroup or such adaptation classes. Children with other German-speaking institutions one different strengths and talents complete year before entering Kindergarten. There kindergarten, primary school and high children are taught German in a playful school (Sek I) together. Pupils with a way at least two half days per week. disability, learning disability or who are highly gifted receive the needed support in When does compulsory schooling school. The same applies for children who start? speak only very little German or none at Compulsory schooling begins in all all. If this is not possible, the children can cantons of Northwestern Switzerland once be supported through special programs children start with kindergarten. The two- within the school or in a special school. year kindergarten now belongs to the primary level and is considered the first The school system in Northwestern stage of schooling. Children who have Switzerland turned 4 years old by the deadline start Because of HarmoS all four cantons of Kindergarten after the summer holidays. Northwestern Switzerland will have the The deadlines currently vary from one same school system by the school year canton to another. Eventually all cantons 2015/2016. in Northwestern Switzerland will have the 31st of July as deadline. The compulsory school period is divided as follows: After two years of Kindergarten your child will transition to primary school. • 8 years primary school ( including two years of mandatory Adaptation classes kindergarten) (Einführungs- / • 3 years high school (secondary Einschulungsklassen) level I) Some children are unable to keep up in regular classes, despite the best efforts of After compulsory school most adolescents their teacher. They may lack persistence, will start secondary level II, while some concentration or self-confidence and not may decide to start working without getting feel comfortable in a regular class. further education. Secondary level II is Children with such development needs subdivided into general education and have the opportunity to attend an vocational training courses. adaptation class in the Cantons of Aargau and Baselland, in which the content of the The general training courses include the first school year is taught over two years. Matura schools and specialized middle Page 3 of 8 Family Guide Northwestern Switzerland schools. They do not lead to professional qualification. They prepare for training courses at the tertiary level (university, colleges). In vocational training young people learn a trade. During vocational training the adolescents mostly learn on the job, with complementary teaching in schools once or twice a week. There are also some vocational training courses where the student attends school full-time. Conflicts between family and school When a child enters kindergarten or primary school, conflicts between the child, school and family can occur. Where lasting conflicts between school and parents exist, it is the child caught in- between that suffers the most. Poor school performance and behavioural problems may result. As a parent, make every effort to avoid such conflicts. If you or your child is nhavg i trouble with a certain teacher, speak to that person directly. If you are not satisfied with the result of the talk or you don’t know how best to approach the teacher, the school board or school social workers are there to help you. They can also act as mediators. Both the school board and social workers approach conflict talks from a neutral position. A child must never receive unfair treatment from a teacher. The school is committed to making sure this does not happen, which is why a teacher must inform his or her superior of a conflict talk. Furthermore, it is just as important that parents do not form a front against the school or a certain teacher, but try to find collaborative solutions. Page 4 of 8 Family Guide Northwestern Switzerland Kindergarten and Primary school: addresses and links Please note: Most of the described services and links are in German. If a service is explicitly offered in English this is marked by a * Switzerland Aargau Basel-Landschaft Basel-Stadt Solothurn Harmos Information about HarmoS General information on the Harmonisation in the Canton of School harmonisation in Basel- General information on the from the Swiss Conference of school system: Baselland: Stadt: school system: Cantonal Ministers of https://www.schulen- https://www.baselland.ch/Bildu http://www.volksschulen.bs.ch/ https://www.so.ch/verwaltung/d Education (EDK). aargau.ch/kanton/organisation ngsharmonisierung.315187.0.h bildungspolitik/schulharmonisie epartement-fuer-bildung-und- http://www.edk.ch/dyn/11659.p hp _struktur/Pages/default.aspx tml rung.html kultur/volksschulamt/ Kindergarten Information by the Swiss Kindergarten in Aargau: Information about the Kindergarten in Basel-Stadt: Kindergarten in Solothurn: authorities online on https://www.ag.ch/de/bks/kinde compulsory 2-year http://www.volksschulen.bs.ch/ http://www.so.ch/verwaltung/d rgarten_volksschule/schulstruk epartement-fuer-bildung-und- Kindergarten and pre-school *: kindergarten: schulsystem/kindergarten- tur_organisation/schulstufen/ki kultur/volksschulamt/schulsyst https://www.ch.ch/en/kindergar https://www.baselland.ch/2- primarschule/kindergarten.html ndergarten/kindergarten.jsp em/schulstufen/primarstufe- Mandatory German learning 1 ten-preschool/ Jahre- mit-kindergarten