Recent threats of school shootings in several Swiss cantons have created extra work for the local police, reported SRF. The threats seem to be inspired by posts on the social media platform Tiktok. Around one month ago, a shooting threat was found posted in a school toilet in Muttenz in the canton of Basel Landschaft. […]
Swiss support mobile phone bans in schools
This week, a survey revealed that 82% of Swiss favour mobile phone bans in schools, reported RTS. The percentage rises to 87% among women, with men supporting a ban slightly less (78%). Support for school phone bans cuts across political party lines. 85% of Swiss People’s Party (SVP/UDC) and Socialist Party members favour such a […]
Children most affected by poverty in Switzerland and need more assistance, says report
A study published this week found that nearly 1 in 20 (4.8%) people under 18 in Switzerland received social welfare in 2022, reported RTS. Children made up 33% of the total population on welfare. The report called for more money to ensure this group is sufficiently supported. The 76,000 children in Switzerland receiving social assistance […]
Swiss university remains top-ranked in continental Europe
ETH Zurich remains the best university in continental Europe, according to the World University Ranking, published by Times Higher Education. ETH Zurich was ranked eleventh worldwide in the 2024 ranking, the same position as in 2023. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), the next Swiss university in the ranking moved up one […]
Rise in rate of suicidal thoughts in Switzerland
A report published this week shows a mixed picture regarding suicide in Switzerland. On one hand, the number of suicides is declining. On the other, the number of people with suicidal thought is rising rapidly, particularly among young people, women in particular. In 2022, 958 people took their own lives, a rate of around 11 […]
Most popular Swiss baby names in 2023
Every year, in August, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) publishes the most popular baby names from the year before. The most popular names in 2023 for newborns in Switzerland were Mia and Noah. In 2023, Mia pushed Emma out of the top spot for baby girls. Among the boys, Noah maintained first place. This is […]
Switzerland’s birth rate continues to fall
The number of babies born in Switzerland fell to 80,024 in 2023, a birth rate of 1.33 per woman, reported RTS. As recently as 2021, 89,644 babies entered the world in Switzerland. Between 2021 and 2023, the number has fallen nearly 11%. In 2023, the fertility rate in Switzerland reached an historic low after trending […]
Swiss universities fare well in latest ranking
In the most recent QS ranking, ETH Zurich remains the top university in continental Europe, trailing only six others in the US (MIT 1st, Harvard 4th, Stanford 6th) and the UK (Imperial – 2nd, Oxford 3rd, Cambridge 5th). ETH Zurich came 7th in the previous ranking. In addition to ranking 7th overall, ETH Zurich was […]
Swiss universities triple fees for foreign students
Switzerland’s federal government is spending more than it collects. To improve its finances it is looking for additional revenue and costs that it can cut. This week, the government decided to charge foreign students at its two federal universities, EPFL in Lausanne and ETHZ in Zurich, three times what they currently pay, reported SRF. Switzerland […]
Apprenticeships top choice for Swiss school leavers in 2024
Across much of the world, the number of school leavers starting apprenticeships is low and often in decline. In Switzerland, apprenticeships remain the preferred choice of most school leavers. In Switzerland, of the 94,303 young people about to complete compulsory school in the coming weeks, 55% listed an apprenticeship as an option of interest. By […]
