Topic: Study in Switzerland
Sending your child to an international school brings amazing opportunities and benefits. Discovering different cultures at such a young age helps encourage tolerance and understanding in a world struggling with divisiveness. In fact, studying in a different culture to your own leads to such a lasting impact that it has its own term: Third Culture Kids.
Third Culture Kids (TCKs), is a term developed by a US sociologist Ruth Hill in the 1950s. It applies to children who spend their formative years in places that are not their parents’ homeland. The “third” culture is created by relocation, where children are exposed to other customs, languages and beliefs – these go on to merge, creating a hybrid (“third”) culture.
On average, a TCK has already moved/experienced a new culture by the age of 9. They are most often children of expat workers attending an international school, but it can also apply to children from multinational families, or children who attend an international school in their home country. International schools in general are well-equipped to ease this transitional time. Many schools now have specific welcome programs, big sister/brother schemes, and are well-versed in cultural integration.
Switzerland has some of the best private international schools in the world, with many established over 100 years ago. With 20% of the Swiss workforce made up of international workers, this has led to a rich melting pot, with many schools having over 40 nationalities within their student bodies. Students will interact with other TCKs and have the opportunity to form lifelong bonds. To help you find the best match possible, we’ve compiled a list of the best private international schools in Switzerland, including a broad selection of curriculums and 3 language options.
So just how easy is it for children to adapt?
The benefits:
TCKs grow up with the benefit of cultural exposure and will have friendships all around the world. They develop greater understanding of the world around them, the challenges different nationalities face, different religious and cultural traditions and usually speak two or more languages fluently. As adults, they are highly employable, flexible to change and easily adaptable to most environments.
The challenges:
Home can become nowhere and everywhere. Identities tend to be tied to people rather than places. They may experience a sense of displacement, returning to their “home” culture only to find it’s not as familiar as it once was. There is also a certain level of grief and loss that TCKs experience, as they say goodbye to friends, culture, weather, homes, family and community.
The takeaway:
60% of adult TCKs would still choose to raise their children as TCKs. In today’s globalized world,this type of upbringing offers unique advantages and opportunities, and awareness helps parents to successfully navigate the challenges. Excitingly, TCKs are creating a culture within a culture, with the concept woven into the storyline in movies (“Call Me By Your Name”), TV shows (“You”) as well as dozens of fiction and non-fiction books. There are many outstanding, high-profile TCKs including Barack Obama, Audrey Hepburn, Yo-Yo Ma and our very own Freddie Mercury. In a world that can appear more and more divided, Third Culture Kids have a gift to encourage dialogue and unity with their exceptional insight.
