What does Switzerland bring to mind? Timepieces, for a start. Unpolluted nature, the Alps, a robust banking system, chocolate. And let's not forget boarding schools.
Swiss boarding schools maintain quotas of students' nationalities and languages to create an international student society and promote multiculturalism.
The schools have long been famous among aristocrats and royalty. But for Thai parents with the financial means, the top destinations for boarding schools are mostly located in English-speaking countries — the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand.
"Each year, hundreds of Thai students travel to study in boarding schools in English-speaking countries. But there are only two to three Thai students per year who go to boarding schools in Switzerland. That figure is too low, compared to the merits of Swiss education," said Apichart Assakul, an independent Thai adviser to Swiss boarding schools.
The unpopularity of Swiss boarding schools stems from a misunderstanding that classes are conducted in languages such as French or German, Apichart said.
In fact, international boarding schools in the country use English, with elective courses in French and German for advanced students. Curricula is internationally accepted — International Baccalaureate, British A-Levels, German Matura — enabling students to apply for colleges and universities anywhere in the world.
To Apichart, overseas education is more than proficiency in English.
"The benefit of studying in Switzerland is that your children will live in an international culture. Living in boarding schools with foreign students teaches them to make friends, and they are groomed to be international citizens and speak multiple languages. That creates a competitive profile in future," said Apichart, whose parents sent him to study at Institut Le Rosey in Lausanne when he was 10 years old.
Alumni of Swiss boarding schools include Madeleine Albright, John Kerry, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and Dodi Fayed.
Outdoor activities are considered as a means to imbue resilience and independence in their students. Pictured is an Aiglon College student during a mountain trekking excursion.
But Swiss boarding schools are also known for their hefty price tags, stemming in part from Switzerland's high cost of living. According to 2011 information from the Swiss Federation of Private Schools, the cost for tuition and boarding ranges from 680,000 to 3 million baht per year.
Swiss boarding schools are a good choice for parents who wish their children to grow up with a global perspective. Some schools impose quotas to limit the number of students of each nationality or language, preventing a predominant language or culture, and can contain anywhere from 30-60 student nationalities.
Boarding schools in Switzerland are turning their eyes to countries in Asia. The "A Journey into The World of Excellence" conference runs today at the Swiss embassy in Bangkok. The event is open to the public, who can speak with representatives from renowned Swiss boarding schools.
For Sarah Frei, marketing manager of Brillantmont International School (BIS), the discreet nature of Swiss people is conducive to grooming children. "Swiss people are known as highly discreet. Wealthy people and celebrities come to Switzerland to enjoy a normal life and privacy. Local people here do not care about celebrities; we do not care much about their big bank accounts or their helicopters. So as schools, we focus on the development of children," Frei said.
Overlooking Lake Geneva, BIS, a 132-year-old private boarding school in Lausanne, is one of a few family-owned institutes that are considered small in size, with 160 students — 100 foreigners and 60 local.
"In small schools, students can develop confidence and have their talent recognised," she said.
Linzee Qi, a 17-year-old student from Wuhan, China, said she feels safe in Switzerland.
"My mum decided Switzerland is a safe and peaceful place with a healthy environment,'' Qi said.
Swiss boarding schools are also rich with extracurricular activities. Most boarding schools require students to join cultural activities and sports, notably skiing and hiking. As Switzerland is home to many humanitarian organisations such as the UN and the Red Cross, students also participate in charity work. Aiglon College, located in the ski resort town in Chesieres-Villars, a few hours from Lausanne, has around five Thai students. It uses outdoor activities as a means to create a resilient and independent character in their students. Children are introduced to forest trekking in summer and skiing in winter. Experienced senior students are encouraged to independently explore the forests and climb mountains on weekends.
"We have kids sent from very rich families. They are used to walking on carpet. Here, we have them climb mountains," said Nicola Sparrow, deputy head of curriculum at Aiglon College.
For Thai students like Nati, studying in Switzerland means a lot of outdoor activities and exposure to new culture.
"In Bangkok, we went to international schools in order to mingle with Thai kids and end up speaking Thai," said Nati, who moved from an international school in Bangkok to study at Aiglon four years ago. Now she speaks English, and is learning French and Spanish.
Nati spends her weekends trekking in forests, climbing mountains and travelling to explore other nearby countries, such as France and Italy, which are only three to five hours away by train.
"Studying here has expanded my world view of various cultures, various subjects and of course, has heightened my love for the outdoors and passion for sports," she said.
Rich and demanding extracurricular activities do not mean that schools lower their academic standards, according to Iris Guery, head of admission and marketing at Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz, a 110-year-old boarding school set amid the spectacular alpine landscape near St Moritz, a famous upscale vacation town and the location for two Winter Olympics.
"Previously you mentioned the Swiss and people thought of hospitality and hotel management, which does not reflect reality," Guery said. Indeed, Switzerland-based universities such as the renowned ETH Zurich, or the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, where Alfred Einstein studied and taught, have been ranked highly in global university surveys.
Aiglon College a boarding school in Chesières-Villars, Switzerland.
Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz is a private boarding school founded in 1904.
Overlooking Lake Geneva, the 132-year-old Brillantmont International School in Lausanne is the second-oldest school in Switzerland.
