Swiss schools stand by their ski camps

It’s been a tradition that children in Switzerland spend at least one week of their schooling years in the snow. Despite some recent pushback, schools appear set to continue the tradition for as long as there is enough snow. “Today we no longer talk about ‛ski’ camps but ‛snow-sports camps’, Tobias Fankhauser of the Swiss Federal Office of Sports (FOSPO) explains. During most of these school trips to the mountains, the children can also try snowboarding, cross-country skiing or even ski jumping. But the principle remains the same: for five days, teachers and pupils have a chance to get to know each other in a different light, away from the formality and structure of the classroom. In the Federal Office’s view, the camps “provide young people with a positive experience that boosts their social skills and their development.” The children generally come away with happy memories of their time at camp: of bonding with their classmates, hanging out in the dormitories and spending fun ...