"The first five years have so much to do with how the next 80 turn out..."

This week’s email comes from Isabelle Hürst, our Education Development Advisor. Thank you, Isabelle!

“The first five years have so much to do with how the next 80 turn out.” -- Bill Gates

After a good year, I returned to Switzerland and familiarized myself with further developments in the education landscape. It cannot be denied that many things are going well. Which is to be hoped for to a certain extent if over 5% of the GDP is invested in education.

The fact that Switzerland generously supports education is definitely a plus. John F. Kennedy once said, "There is only one thing in the long run more expensive than education: no education." In other words, those who invest in education, invest in the long term. Nevertheless, there are astonishing deficits. For example, 95% of all young people are expected to graduate from secondary level 2 which means either receiving a diploma from a grammar or vocational school. The target is generally achieved for Swiss young people, but not for foreigners who were not born in Switzerland. Here, the rate is only 73%.

Although both percentages compare well on international level, the differences have striking consequences. Not having a degree at secondary level 2 is accompanied by a high risk of being permanently unemployed. But how can this risk be mitigated? The educational gap is linked to a fundamental shortcoming of the Swiss education system which fails to ensure that less advantaged students catch up with their peers in the course of their educational careers. Since the deficits are already apparent at the beginning of a school career, one must start before the children even go to school. That is why it is essential to attribute greater importance to early childhood education. In particular, parents should be better supported to make it easier for children to enter kindergarten. In concrete terms, this means that parents must be aware of how crucial it is to support young children through discussion and enrichment at home and have accessible education options for their young child outside the home.

While Switzerland tries to tackle the existing problem by its roots, Impact Network also expands its early childhood education program. The initial pilot project at Joel which included 2 ECE classrooms will be rolled out to six more Katete West schools as we add 12 more ECE classes. New classrooms are under construction and will be equipped with age-appropriate furniture and adorned with murals. Play structures made up of wood play structures and upcycled materials are emerging. Wooden block and toy sets with different shapes and colors are being locally produced. Fabric is bought so that teachers can sew toys. An ECE curriculum with the three primary teaching methods – circle time, free play and field experiences – is ready for implementation. The organization is looking forward to introducing a large number of children between 3 and 6 years of age to pre-academic skills through child-centered learning activities!