Homeschooling in Switzerland
and the importance of playful learning

Homeschooling is currently the subject of intense debate in Switzerland - because homeschooling is on the rise. The number of children being taught at home has doubled to over 4,100 since 2018.

 

Homeschooling means that parents take responsibility for their children's education. This allows parents to support their children individually. Homeschooling also offers parents and children greater flexibility when it comes to organizing lessons.

 

However, this responsibility can also pose a major challenge. As homeschooling must follow the cantonal curriculum, parents are required to fully understand the often complex curriculum. Parents also need to find suitable materials that both meet the educational goals and foster the individual learning progress of the children. And of course these materials should be fun for the children and enable sustainable learning.

 

This is exactly where the Primary School Box comes in. The Primary School Box has identified the key topics for each subject in each school year - and offers suitable, high-quality, playful learning materials that are haptic. By integrating these playful learning games, parents can make lessons at home varied and motivating. And, of course, all boxes are aligned with the Lehrplan 21 of the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland.

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These materials are supplemented by a comprehensive handbook that explains in detail how the learning games and other materials are linked to Lehrplan 21. It also shows a variety of ways in which they can be used effectively.

 

This is how the Primarschulbox helps parents to focus even more on teaching their children the key content in an individualized and fun way.

 

Finally, we would like to give you an overview of the central rules in Switzerland regarding homeschooling:

 

1. Cantonal regulations and supervision:

Education is regulated on a cantonal basis and the requirements for homeschooling vary from canton to canton. Some cantons allow homeschooling relatively freely, while others have stricter requirements - because there is no “right to homeschooling”. As a rule, parents must obtain permission from the school authorities and homeschooling is subject to a certain degree of supervision.

 

2. Compulsory registration:

Homeschooling in Switzerland must be officially registered with the relevant cantonal authorities. Parents who wish to educate their children at home are obliged to notify the authorities at an early stage, in some cantons even annually. The authorities check the registration and, depending on the canton, may request additional information such as curricula or teacher qualifications. This obligation to notify serves to monitor and ensure that the educational objectives are achieved in accordance with cantonal requirements.

 

3. Obligation to follow the curriculum:

Parents must ensure that their children follow the cantonal curriculum. This means that lessons must take place in the prescribed subjects and the learning success is usually checked. This places a high demand on parents, as they assume responsibility for their children's education.

 

4. Presence of qualified teachers:

Some cantons require homeschooling to be carried out by people with a teaching diploma. In other cantons, this is not necessary - but parents must sometimes be guided by a person with a teaching diploma.

 

5. Regular checks:

Homeschooled children are regularly examined by the authorities in many cantons. These examinations ensure that the child has mastered the subject matter and is comparable with children of the same age in public schools. The tests can be written or oral and often cover the main subjects.