In the News

Compulsory Playgroups?

The city of Basel is contemplating making German-language playgroups compulsory for immigrant children. The canton's education department says children with foreign parents are at a disadvantage during their school years because of poor German language skills, which is the main language in Basel. Plans to be submitted in the summer of 2008 would require parents to take part in a meeting at which their children's knowledge of German would be established.

Children would then take part in playgroups two times a week for a year to improve their knowledge. Basel's school service emphasised children would not undergo any tests and playgroups would be focused on games that promote language learning.