12,700 pupils went back to school in the City of Geneva on Monday 21 August. Between excitement, fears and new projects, plenty of surprises await pupils, parents and teachers alike.
Final preparations before going back to school: checking school bags, registering for extracurricular services and preparing classrooms to welcome the pupils. Everything is ready to get the week off to a smooth start, with the sunny weather a reminder of the holidays.
While the start of school can be a worrying time for the pupils and their parents, the professionals make every effort to ensure that the children will learn lots of new things during the school year and have plenty of memories. Find interesting information here about the start of the new school year and the projects organised.
Safety on the way to school
At the start of every new school year, safety on the way to school is a major concern. The City has prepared an awareness and information campaign on the role of the school patrol intended for parents bringing their children to school by cars or bike.
Safety around the school grounds is also a key issue. Following a study carried out by the School Service and the Planning, Civil Engineering and Mobility Service, it was decided that improving around the schools was an essential task.
Municipal nurseries: a first in the City of Geneva
The gradual process of making the early childcare sector a municipal affair will begin at the start of this new school year with the incorporation of the staff from the institutions of the Marie Goegg-Pouchoulin sector (171 places and 67 staff) into the municipal administration.
By 2028, over 700 new places are scheduled to meet families' needs.
Turning school yards green
In this era of climate emergency, the pupils are keen to see the school environment become greener. A programme to make 9 school yards greener by 2030 has been launched.
In the meantime, the project to requalify the two school yards in Les Pâquis has already started and the pupils will be able enjoy this to the full from the start of the next school year in 2024.
At present, 4 schools have received funding to create green school yards.
Activities for families and children's rights
A rich weekend programme will start up from 26 August at Bâtie des enfants. Creative and musical activities linked to nature are a firm favourite with a broad family public, complementing the range of leisure activities provided by the ludothèques.
On 18 September, the Children's Rights Committee meeting in Geneva will publish a general observation issued by the children themselves concerning the right to a healthy and sustainable environment. To mark this commitment, the City of Geneva has joined forces with the Committee to organise an event, during which international delegations of children and pupils from Geneva will meet each other to carry out a symbolic planting in a Geneva school yard.
In November, for the 3rd consecutive year, the City of Geneva will host the Western Swiss Conference of Children organised by Terre des Hommes Suisse.
Back-to-school allowance for all children
The back-to-school allowance (ARS) has been renewed for the 11th consecutive year. A total of 130 francs and 180 francs per year will be paid to families for each child enrolled in primary and lower secondary education respectively. For the third consecutive year, the service is open to all children regardless of the situation of their parents, thanks to a partnership with the Centre de contact Suisses-Immigrés (CCSI). Last year, some 5,857 children benefitted from this support totalling 766,000 francs.
These different elements underline the City's key concerns and present the exciting projects awaiting the children throughout the year. All that is left to do is to wish everyone concerned a successful start to the new school year!
Article modifié le 22.08.2023 à 08:51