Swiss School Beijing is officially recognized by federal government

GENEVA, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Switzerland's federal government said Friday that it has officially recognized the Swiss School in Beijing, the first of its kind in China.

The government said it is the first Swiss school abroad in more than three decades.

"The school sees itself as a meeting point for Swiss and Chinese cultures," a Swiss government statement said.

Recognition will initially run until the end of 2020, which is the end of the school's development phase, the statement noted.

The approval stamp means that the school will officially be the 18th Swiss school abroad.

Swiss schools abroad are international schools promoting Swiss values and the schools will carry the official logo of the country's schools abroad and the statement said the schools are "bicultural and at least bilingual."

The recognized schools are eligible for government subsidies for operating costs, such as hiring Swiss teachers to work in Beijing, Fiona Wigger, in charge of schools abroad at the Federal Office of Culture, told swissinfo.ch, the website of the national broadcaster.

Swiss staff are more expensive than local staff, so the government helps cover the extra costs.

Swiss schools abroad also need to follow a Swiss curriculum and hold classes in a Swiss national language. In Beijing, this will be German.

The official opening ceremony took place in October 2017.

The institution is the first fully independent Swiss school abroad to open since 1981, since more recent openings have involved expanding existing schools.

The school is housed in the existing Western Academy Beijing and the school is first offering kindergarten as well as Primary 1 and 2 classes for children aged six to eight.

The idea is to expand the institution to other age groups and reach 150 pupils. Enditem