Baar, 09.04.2019

SVP party calls for parents to pay for interpreters' fees

Last February, the SVP party tabled a question to the cantonal government about cultural mediators and interpreters deployed at schools, for example at information evenings when new foreign pupils start municipal schools, and at subsequent parents’ evenings. In particular, the SVP party wanted to know at which schools such services were provided and what the costs were.

 

In its reply, the cantonal government said that no such interpreting or cultural mediating services were offered at the Cantonal Schools and three other secondary schools preparing pupils primarily for careers in commerce, though the “Office of Bridging Opportunities” (ABA), which helps pupils of migratory background, can call on these services if necessary. Indeed, the government felt it appropriate that interpreters should be provided in cases where teachers needed to talk to parents directly over matters in which they played a direct role relating to the children’s education.

 

It was mentioned the costs for the ABA amounted to an average of CHF 1,500 per year, or CHF 7.00 per pupil, bearing in mind the ABA has 220 on its roll, though these costs are then taken over by the canton. Parents are not expected to pay.

 

It was mentioned that such interpreting services were provided 44 times over the past four years, in most cases for Portuguese (17 times), Tamil (9 times) and Spanish (5 times), with interpreting services in seven other languages also provided.  

 

The SVP party member who tabled this question was Beni Riedi of Baar (photograph). It is here where a pilot project relating to cultural mediators in 2017 cost CHF 12,762, whereas only CHF 8,000 was budgeted for such services in 2018. According to the cantonal government, these costs are to be shared equally between the State and the municipality, whereas Riedi thought such costs should be borne by the individual parents. However, the cantonal government pointed out there was no legal basis for this. “Those pupils who have a right to free education are also entitled to the services of interpreters and cultural mediators,” it said, and referred to the Federal Constitution on this point.

 

It is this lack of legal framework which prevents parents from being charged which annoys Riedi. He feels the legal framework to be able to charge parents accordingly should be set up, especially in those cases where parents had called on interpreting services repeatedly over a period of many years. “If parents were forced to pay, it might encourage them more to learn German,” he said. The SVP party is now considering how legislation ensuring parents pay might be introduced.     

 

This article is based on a report by Laura Sibold.