Bahamas, February 28, 2017 – Nassau – With a population of eight million and no natural resources, Switzerland turned its attention to education, became a world leader and last week opened the doors to more Bahamians benefiting from the unique Swiss education experience when educators from some of the country’s most elite schools met with teachers, counselors, parents and students in Nassau.
“We received such a warm welcome everywhere we went,” said Tanya Espinosa Feuz, the Nassau-based volunteer representative of SwissLearning, an association of one dozen leading boarding schools and hospitality training institutes. “The level of interest among Bahamian parents was great and demonstrated how much emphasis parents in The Bahamas place on providing the best education possible for their children especially if that education offers an opportunity for broader exposure to other languages and cultures.”
At Windsor Academy where more than 150 students attended an assembly to learn more about what Swiss schools offered, questions ranged from how close they were to good ski slopes to whether you could study coding and robotics. For the visiting educators, Windsor was an eye-opener. When they asked students if they knew someone who went to boarding school, nearly every hand in the room shot up.
“Parents want the best for their children and if that means one year or more away to prepare them for university, they will often sacrifice to make sure that their daughter or son gets that experience and preparation,” said Espinosa-Feuz.
According to Nathalie Eynard of Le Rosey in Rolle, Switzerland – known as the School of Kings — diversity is key whether in places of origin or area of study.
“We have 68 nationalities represented,” Eynard told students. “And at any given time, we have an average of 50 in every grade level. Most importantly, it is not simply where students are from that creates the experience, but that we provide an atmosphere for them to decide and focus on what they really want to do whether that is making movies or studying law.”
International exposure and friendships are a major component adding to the appeal of a Swiss education, with former students from The Bahamas saying they have kept in touch for decades and the friends they made during their days in Switzerland have opened many doors.
For high school students who look to Switzerland for at least a part of their education, spending a gap year – the year between finishing high school and starting college – offers the opportunity to improve college entrance exam performance while discovering what they want to study as they move forward. Gap year and hotel management programs place emphasis on a few key features — learning other languages, work experience and trips to destinations as distant as Africa to participate in charitable endeavors. Languages are a vital part of every curriculum, including month-long summer camps at several of the boarding schools.
SwissLearning founder Christophe Xavier Clivaz told students that one of the greatest benefits of a Swiss education is to “find a talent you never knew you had but once you find it, it can now change your life.”
Students whistled appreciatively when they heard Switzerland ranked as the most innovative country in the world. But they also wanted to know along with languages, academics and hospitality, what sports were offered and which schools were in the best skiing areas.
“We have skiing, at some of the schools every day,” said Clivaz. “We have cricket on ice, ice hockey, mountaineering, climbing, hiking, sailing on lakes, we have just about every sport there is except scuba diving because the one thing we don’t have is coral reefs.”
During their whirlwind trip, Swiss educators paid a courtesy call on Governor General Lady Marguerite Pindling, met with Ministry of Education officials Monique Hinsey and Reginald Saunders, visited several schools and hosted a presentation and reception at Old Fort Bay Club that drew more 120 persons.
