Mrs Schuler, why do day schools have such a hard time in Switzerland?

Mrs Schuler Braunschweig, in many European countries, pupils are looked after at school outside of learning hours as a matter of course.

That is the rule. The only exceptions are the German-speaking countries, with Switzerland standing out in particular. And in a negative sense.

Why do day schools have such a hard time in this country?

There are many reasons for this: Switzerland has a conservative, traditional climate and experience shows that social changes take a long time. Especially when it comes to areas that affect families, many people have a negative reaction: school is all well and good, but it should primarily impart knowledge; the child belongs to the parents and not to the state.

Do we have a problem with letting go?

It's more than that. Many Swiss people consciously or unconsciously assume that too much time away from home is harmful. Why should a child be sent to a day school when there are other options? By other, I mean that mothers in particular take a back seat, grandparents step in and everything is organised so that children can be at home outside of lessons.

«Many Swiss believe that too much time away from home is bad for the child»

This makes it sound as if a teaching concept that provides for supervision beyond the lessons is harmful.

Although this prejudice has long been disproved by research, it persists in people's minds. The fact is that day pupils have better learning conditions than their peers who attend «normal» neighbourhood schools. In day schools, learning is more varied and not just limited to normal lesson times. As a social researcher, I suspect that this can have a positive effect on children's social skills.

So why are there so few fully-fledged day schools in Switzerland?

I am convinced that this will soon change. There is a huge demand for all-day places for primary school children. Whenever a new centre opens somewhere, people queue up. In the city of Zurich, for example, there are five public facilities where pupils are looked after from morning to evening. All of them have long waiting lists. The girls and boys who go to expensive public schools are automatically looked after according to such a concept. In the meantime, many neighbourhoods and communities now have day care structures. This means that parents can send their children to lunch or homework supervision as required.

Isn't that a positive development?

This is a step in the right direction. However, I am not completely convinced by this modular principle. If every pupil has an individual timetable for their free time, it becomes confusing. In addition, there is no sense of togetherness outside the classroom. But that would also be important for social learning.

So why aren't more day schools being opened?

Interestingly, many municipalities state that they have no need for this type of school. Why? Because the parents, especially the mothers, are adapting. They work a maximum of one or two days in their old job or put their careers on hold completely. That's not exactly business-friendly. Most women in this country are well educated and enjoy working in their jobs before they become mothers. Why should everything change just so that there's food on the table at lunchtime? Why don't we create better conditions so that these women can better reconcile family and career?

You have two schoolchildren yourself. How do you organise yourself?

Just like many other working mums. We have built up a fragile childcare system consisting of grandparents, after-school care and neighbourly help. When it's my turn, I rush home just before lunchtime and cook something quick. Spaghetti with sauce or something. There's often no time for the healthy things, the salad and the fruit platter. They come, eat and before I know it, they're gone again. Does it make me a bad mum if I think there are better solutions?

Couldn't existing primary schools be converted into day schools?

It's not that simple. Very few school buildings are designed with this in mind. It's not enough just to have classrooms. You need a professionally equipped kitchen, a dining room and recreation rooms. Almost most important of all are places of retreat so that the children can take a break from the hectic school day.

«A day school offers the retreats that children need so much»

What about personnel?

Not only do we need more teachers, but also a different type of teacher. In addition to imparting knowledge, it is more about pedagogical content than ever before. Another new aspect would be that teachers would have to work hand in hand with carers. This requires a change of attitude that can hardly be imposed from above.

You teach at the Zurich University of Teacher Education and help shape the training of new teachers. Is the next generation ready for the change I just mentioned?

I wish I could answer this question in the affirmative. However, I keep realising that students think in an amazingly traditional way. They can often hardly imagine having lunch together with their students. Or to agree with the other carers on staff, the infrastructure would have to be adapted and so on. But the whole thing would quickly pay off from an economic point of view. I am convinced of that.

You are conducting intensive research on the topic. What goals should Switzerland set itself in the coming years?

We need a national centre of excellence that municipalities, cities and cantons can turn to when it comes to setting up high-quality day schools. And we need quality standards. We probably also need to redefine the job descriptions of teacher and carer. And we need to talk more objectively about the role of the mother and the compatibility of family and career. Day schools are not better schools per se just because they are day schools. But they are a possible response to a social development that is currently taking place. That's why I believe that the expansion of the day school network is not a revolution, but rather an expression of evolution.

About the person

Patricia Schuler Braunschweig is a professor at the Zurich University of Teacher Education. Among other things, she is conducting research on the topic of day schools as part of an ongoing National Fund study. Patricia Schuler Braunschweig is married, has two school-age children and lives in Zurich.

Read more:

• Which day school is the right one?
• Day schools? A teacher reports.