Private schools with a bad reputation among the average population
It is still difficult for private schools in Switzerland. Their reputation does not do justice to their offer and their performance. Public schools usually offer a very high level of instruction, but more intense competition could further increase the level of education in Switzerland.
At an education congress that I attended a few weeks ago, a student who had completed his education in a public school in District 4 in Zurich was asked what he would change educational policy if he could. His answer was interesting: “I would mix the schools in Zurich more so that everyone can benefit more from each other.”
Allocation to school based on residential address, not based on skills
Today it is the case that there is seldom an alternative to school in the village or in the neighborhood. It is not the composition or the cognitive abilities of the pupils that is decisive for the allocation to a school, but their home address. Two thirds of secondary school heads stated in an OECD survey that they do not compete with any other school for pupils. This puts Switzerland in penultimate place out of 32 OECD countries with practically no competition for pupils. The cantons of St. Gallen, Zurich, Thurgau and Baselland have already tried to change this fact, but the voters were against it. How can a country with such a liberal economy have such a conservative education system?
Education as a state task
Since 1874, teaching in elementary schools in Switzerland has been free, non-denominational and compulsory. Although denominational reasons also played a role here, this decision is still considered to have a promising future and is responsible for the high level of Swiss education. At the same time, however, the opinion burned itself into the minds of the Swiss that education is a state task.
Private schools do not receive subsidies – public schools do
The private schools that we regularly present on schoolaboo prove that private schools are very innovative and often offer educational opportunities that public schools cannot. These offers are of course not necessary to gain access to a Swiss university or vocational school. But it is well known that we do not learn for school, but for life. Despite many innovative ideas, the share of private schools in Switzerland is 5%. This is also due to the sometimes high costs for private schools, which are also caused by the fact that private schools rarely receive subsidies, while public schools are 100% subsidized by the respective canton.
Freedom of choice and competition in educational institutions
I am convinced that freedom of choice among public schools and the resulting competition would reduce the educational gap in Switzerland and thereby increase the level of education in the country. But educational circles evidently shy away from competition. What is seen globally as a prerequisite for development and as an initiative for change is ignored in education. That this initiates the privatization of education, as is often claimed, amounts to subsidized propaganda. One hears again and again that competition in education is socially harmful. It would prevent the mixing of income groups. In my opinion, this is also out of thin air. Rather, the opposite is the case, as the example of the student from District 4 in Zurich shows.