Hi

Just wanted to thank everyone in contributing to the forum. It helped me a lot in understanding what to expect. Just had a few questions which I couldnt search in the forum.. appreciate your responses, apologize if i'm requesting culturally specific help
Would be working out of Vaud Canton (Rolle) ... I think would have to be based in nearby areas ... trying to narrow down to Luasanne

- Wife is a home maker, loves to go outdoor, usual stuff- Shopping, foodie etc.. any suggestions on ideal place to stay .. would like to go for Furnished living... would Apartment be better ? Have a 10 yr old kid, so would be ideal if he could socialize and have some activity center that he could go to.. budget would be upto 3.5K CHF/Month

- Education for kid, i think would have to opt for International school till he picks up French/German... any recommendations? Would also request help from any indian family who have moved in on their experience

- Would be signing up to learn French/German, any help on the same is appreciated

- Do please suggest areas to live which would be good for Family living - Activities to engage in for Spouse and good schooling for Kid...

Welcome!

Welcome to the EF! The right place to get info.

Welcome, or Bienvenue. If you move to Rolle- just do not worry about learning German, at least not at this stage.

For your child- depends very much on his/her age. If 8 and under- I would personally opt for full immersion into the Swiss State edu system- for child to have best chances later. They do help kids who are new with language acquisition, etc. Also the best way to integrate and make friends- and for the parents too.

Hi , welcome

Welcome to Switzerland.


The child is 10 according to the OP which is a bit of a tricky age when it comes to schooling.

If the child was born past around-mid year, it would go to 6th HARMOS (4th grade). That's still 3 years before the streaming, and the best stream in Vaud takes on average about 30% of the pupils, so is not that very hard to get even.
But from what I've seen is that all the Indians place their children at some English schools here because, among others, it is a must in case of a return to India and its education system.

Welcome to EF & CH.

Forget International School, unless you HAVE to ship out of CH in couple of years. You plan to be in the French speaking part, so putting your 10 y.o. into the French 'class d'accueil' which is specifically meant of newly arrived foreigners is a very good option. My kids were 8 and 12 when we came here. After 6 months in ISB i moved them into the local public school system. My elder one will probably go to EPFL next year. So that says it all.

Hey Thanks a lot SVA... could you kindly explain on this a bit more... after 6 months in ISB? i'm a bit concerned on the medium being French as he has no experience in it.. was thinking of Intl school for the first year (will be in 5th grade) and then go for the public school from the year after...

You don't state when your wife and child will be arriving in CH? If not for a few months yet then it would be a very good idea to start them out on some basic French lessons back in India, yourself included if you have the time.


Living in Rolle, the only international schools near Rolle that I know is GEMS World Academy in Etoy https://www.gemsworldacademy-switzerland.com/
but I agree with those saying you should look at placing your child in the Swiss system with French, social integration with Swiss will be far easier as well, as opposed to integrating in the ex-pat bubble that is often bred by international schools. Although our children were far younger when we came, it was never an option, they are Swiss in every aspect of the term bar passports, which is something they are now seriously considering becoming.

Depends if you can afford the 25,000 to 30,000 a year for an international school. Otherwise, it's public. Swiss schools are well set up to help foreign children learn the relevant Swiss language and if you can get started before they arrive that will help to.

sva was talking about the International School in Basel (ISB). Not a choice option for you as too far from Rolle.

St-Sulpice, Préverenges, St-Prex, could be nice places to live. Near enough from Lausanne and a doable commute for you. Rolle could be a bit quiet for your wife.

Your budget will be comfortable for a nice apartment.

Hey thanks for your suggestions...They would come by end of August/September, would be starting French classes for my kid in the meantime. As per suggestion by SVA, spent the weekend reading about the swiss school system and am a bit confused/concerned with the streaming.
My kid is 10 years, 5 months, born in feb, so would he be in Grade 4 ? He already completed Grade 4 in India, not sure if its equivalent here and repercussion if going back ?
There is a nice link https://www.edudoc.ch/static/web/bil..._bildung_e.pdf that shows the structure, but not able to make out the link to age and grade.
Would greatly appreciate if someone could help me the below doubts (all for public schooling)
- At 10 yrs, 5 months... which grade would he go to? Would it be Lower secondary or Primary?
- When would educational transition happen? Is it age 13/14 grade 7 where the decision to go to a gymnasium or Vocational is made.That should give him atleast 3 years to pick up instead of putting undue pressure to do so in a year
- Have to Stay in Vaud Canton...Wife is a homemaker, so would like to stay at a place with easy access to neighborhood markets, shopping centers, socializing activities.. thinking of Nyon, Gland, Lausanne, Morges. Would love to experience the country side, but not sure if my kid/wife would have social network
- This may be a very specific question: If we decide to come back after 3-4 years, would going to public school still be equivalent to jump back to indian school system

Given his location I suspect sva was referring to the International School of Bern. It's still a bit too far from Rolle to be a feasible option though.

If we take into consideration your wife's needs as a stay at home mum, then forget Gland...it is a dormitory town with no real centre to speak of, the train station is served less per hour as well, in short pretty dead place. Nyon is a nice town with everything that you would require, shops, restaurants (2 Indian restaurants to boot), bars, tea rooms, cinema, hospital, lake front, weekly market, museums, all within walking distance. Morges is the same, only much larger, and finally Lausanne has everything you could ever ask for and more.

Thanks for the info Rachel
How about grade that he wold go into? he's 10 yrs 5mths as of today and also would like to understand the age at which test for Gymnasium is taken. Just concerned if he has enough time to switch to French medium and be proficient to take the test

Normally the school authorities decide the grade based on age AND ability including language. Both my kids (8 & 13 at that time) 'lost a year'. It was the best thing that happened to them, as from being youngest in class they went to median. I have found the school authorities here to be not only helpful but completely trustworthy in making the right decision for our kids. They are pros at it - we are merely parents. Don't fret too much about kids being on par or ahead of peers, as we so often tend to do in India.

PS I did mean IS Berne.

I wouldnt worry too much about the Gymnasium test, its far far too early. There is always a hype about this test, and honestly I dont really see why. The Swiss schooling system is pretty ingenious. A good Sec A pass can open the same doors for a child as a Gynmasium student. There is the Berufsmatura, and depends on each Kanton a further year of study,then university. But it is not impossible for a child to finish an Apprenticeship and then go to University. I also know many people who did apprenticeships and are now MDs, senior managers, and I know a CEO who went the same route as above ect.ect.

I understand studying is very important, and we all want to give our children the best start in life, but I can assure you, the exposure and the standard of education he will be getting here is an amazing start. There is nothing second grade about doing an apprenticeship, on the contrary, many school experts recommend that child take this path, they gain work and life experience and skills during an apprenticeship, which will form the foundation of a successful life.

Thanks SVA and Pather for your assuring words... it can be a maze looking at different viewpoints and info on the web.

How do you thank anyone for posts.. i dont see a button on my view.. is this enabled only after certain period?