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S U B S C R I B E
WRS stories about children
ABE: Putting ski helmets to the test
Thursday, 19 January, 2012
The range of models and prices varies widely, but every ski helmet should come with the guarantee of effective head protection. ABE, the Consumer Show puts eight popular brands to the test and finds that the level of protection varies widely too—but not necessarily in parallel with the price tag:
Thursday, 19 January, 2012
The range of models and prices varies widely, but every ski helmet should come with the guarantee of effective head protection. ABE, the Consumer Show puts eight popular brands to the test and finds that the level of protection varies widely too—but not necessarily in parallel with the price tag:
Religion required—controversial new course in Zurich schools
Monday, 16 January, 2012
Starting this year, pupils in the canton of Zurich have a new lesson to go to. It’s called Religion and Culture—and it means religious education is now compulsory in schools. WRS’s Jo Fahy reports:
Monday, 16 January, 2012
Starting this year, pupils in the canton of Zurich have a new lesson to go to. It’s called Religion and Culture—and it means religious education is now compulsory in schools. WRS’s Jo Fahy reports:
Dig It! Gardening for kids and other 2012 trends
Friday, 13 January, 2012
Hester Macdonald talks about what gardening trends to watch for in 2012. She talks to John Stanley, retail guru, as well as Erwin Meier, director of the Meier Garden center in Dürnten in the canton of Zurich. She also gets trend insights on the year ahead from Rachel Doyle, director of the Arboretum Garden centre in County Carlow in Ireland. Trends include gardening for children, edible landscapes and colour in the garden. Next week in part two, Hester talks about trends in plants, including the introduction of a blue orchid:
Friday, 13 January, 2012
Hester Macdonald talks about what gardening trends to watch for in 2012. She talks to John Stanley, retail guru, as well as Erwin Meier, director of the Meier Garden center in Dürnten in the canton of Zurich. She also gets trend insights on the year ahead from Rachel Doyle, director of the Arboretum Garden centre in County Carlow in Ireland. Trends include gardening for children, edible landscapes and colour in the garden. Next week in part two, Hester talks about trends in plants, including the introduction of a blue orchid:
Insurer finally approves cancer drug for four-year-old
Friday, 23 December, 2011
Two weeks ago, a Swiss newspaper published the heart-rending story of four-year-old Elliot. Elliot was diagnosed with a malignant kidney cancer, but his health insurer refused to pay for the drug he needed. As we reported at the time, doctors say nearly one family in three faces a similar battle to obtain cancer drugs for their kids. But for Elliot there’s been the best Christmas present of all. On the line now is Elliott’s mother, Nicole Scobie Torekov:
Friday, 23 December, 2011
Two weeks ago, a Swiss newspaper published the heart-rending story of four-year-old Elliot. Elliot was diagnosed with a malignant kidney cancer, but his health insurer refused to pay for the drug he needed. As we reported at the time, doctors say nearly one family in three faces a similar battle to obtain cancer drugs for their kids. But for Elliot there’s been the best Christmas present of all. On the line now is Elliott’s mother, Nicole Scobie Torekov:
Swiss war against measles carries on
Tuesday, 20 December, 2011
Switzerland might be top of the league in living standards and financial security, but it also has a rather less savoury claim to fame. In the last five years it’s also had the highest number of cases of measles in Europe. Far from being a thing of the past, measles is still a major headache in Switzerland. Between 2006 to 2009 there were 4,400 cases reported. The government is now launching a national campaign to eradicate the disease. To do so, Switzerland needs to raise the vaccination rate to 95 percent of the population. The figure currently stands at 76 percent. For more, WRS’s Dave Goodman speaks to Claire-Anne Siegrist, president of the Federal Vaccination Commission:
Tuesday, 20 December, 2011
Switzerland might be top of the league in living standards and financial security, but it also has a rather less savoury claim to fame. In the last five years it’s also had the highest number of cases of measles in Europe. Far from being a thing of the past, measles is still a major headache in Switzerland. Between 2006 to 2009 there were 4,400 cases reported. The government is now launching a national campaign to eradicate the disease. To do so, Switzerland needs to raise the vaccination rate to 95 percent of the population. The figure currently stands at 76 percent. For more, WRS’s Dave Goodman speaks to Claire-Anne Siegrist, president of the Federal Vaccination Commission:
Teens say they'll still smoke despite scary warnings
Monday, 19 December, 2011
We’ve all seen the warnings on cigarette packets—pictures of diseased body parts and rotting teeth—but just how effective are they at getting people to quit smoking? When it comes to teenagers—not very it seems. A new study by the University of Fribourg found that despite the warnings 73 percent of teenagers say they’ll still be smoking in five years time. WRS’s Dave Goodman spoke to psycholinguist Pascal Gygax who headed up the study:
Monday, 19 December, 2011
We’ve all seen the warnings on cigarette packets—pictures of diseased body parts and rotting teeth—but just how effective are they at getting people to quit smoking? When it comes to teenagers—not very it seems. A new study by the University of Fribourg found that despite the warnings 73 percent of teenagers say they’ll still be smoking in five years time. WRS’s Dave Goodman spoke to psycholinguist Pascal Gygax who headed up the study:
Doctors: Red tape holding back cancer drugs for kids
Wednesday, 14 December, 2011
Each year in Switzerland, around 200 children are diagnosed with some form of cancer. The symptoms and treatment are a huge burden for children and their families to bear. But, according to the doctors who treat them, nearly one family in three fighting cancer also faces additional stress and red tape simply because of the medication they need. WRS’s Catherine Allen has more:
Wednesday, 14 December, 2011
Each year in Switzerland, around 200 children are diagnosed with some form of cancer. The symptoms and treatment are a huge burden for children and their families to bear. But, according to the doctors who treat them, nearly one family in three fighting cancer also faces additional stress and red tape simply because of the medication they need. WRS’s Catherine Allen has more:
Lack of violent video law puts onus on shops and parents
Tuesday, 13 December, 2011
What do you do if your 10-year-old puts a couple of violent video games on that Christmas wishlist this year? Members of Parliament couldn’t make up their minds last year on age restrictions or an outright ban of violent videos, so they passed the buck onto the Federal Council, which has so far not made its recommendations. Meanwhile game shops have taken the bull by the horns. They’ve gotten together with consumer groups to help parents set the limits. WRS’s Lucas Chambers reports:
Tuesday, 13 December, 2011
What do you do if your 10-year-old puts a couple of violent video games on that Christmas wishlist this year? Members of Parliament couldn’t make up their minds last year on age restrictions or an outright ban of violent videos, so they passed the buck onto the Federal Council, which has so far not made its recommendations. Meanwhile game shops have taken the bull by the horns. They’ve gotten together with consumer groups to help parents set the limits. WRS’s Lucas Chambers reports:
School scores provoke rethinking language lessons
Tuesday, 6 December, 2011
The cantonal results of how 15-year-olds are doing in school came out yesterday—and it wasn’t good news for Geneva or Zurich. The PISA tests are used to assess students all over the world on their reading, maths and science skills. WRS’s Jo Fahy reports:
Tuesday, 6 December, 2011
The cantonal results of how 15-year-olds are doing in school came out yesterday—and it wasn’t good news for Geneva or Zurich. The PISA tests are used to assess students all over the world on their reading, maths and science skills. WRS’s Jo Fahy reports:
How parents can protect kids from 'sexting'
Monday, 14 November, 2011
The Swiss love their technology as much as the next country but there is a dark side—with the growing trend of “sexting.” Child psychotherapist Rachel Melville-Thomas talks through the risks of sending and receiving revealing texts and photos and discusses some ideas for parents on how to cope:
Monday, 14 November, 2011
The Swiss love their technology as much as the next country but there is a dark side—with the growing trend of “sexting.” Child psychotherapist Rachel Melville-Thomas talks through the risks of sending and receiving revealing texts and photos and discusses some ideas for parents on how to cope:
No Swiss students at Zurich international schools?
Wednesday, 19 October, 2011
If you want to pay for your child’s education, should you be able to send them to whatever school you want? A row is brewing in Zurich as private international schools face the new enforcement of regulations that would stop local Swiss kids from attending. WRS’s Dave Goodman gets the scoop from Jo Fahy in our Zurich bureau:
Wednesday, 19 October, 2011
If you want to pay for your child’s education, should you be able to send them to whatever school you want? A row is brewing in Zurich as private international schools face the new enforcement of regulations that would stop local Swiss kids from attending. WRS’s Dave Goodman gets the scoop from Jo Fahy in our Zurich bureau:
Speed Read: More great books for kids
Monday, 17 October, 2011
Monday, 17 October, 2011
Johanna Jutzet from the Stauffacher English bookstore in Bern has three suggestions from the children’s section:
- The Thornthwaite Inheritance by Gareth P. Jones (10 and up)
- The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (8 and up)
- Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson (9 and up)
Should children receive sex education in schools?
Thursday, 6 October, 2011
This week the cantonal ministers of education received petition signatures from 90,000 people against sexual education in schools. The petition, entitled “no to the sexualization of children in public schools,” is backed by right-wing and religious parties. They say sexual education should come from the family instead. Some Swiss German cantons are currently considering putting in place a mandatory sex-ed curriculum. WRS’s David Goodman hears both side of the argument from Zurich Swiss People’s party MP Ulrich Schluer, who is on the committee behind the petition, and Fausta Borsani from the Swiss Foundation for Sexual and Reproductive Healt:
Thursday, 6 October, 2011
This week the cantonal ministers of education received petition signatures from 90,000 people against sexual education in schools. The petition, entitled “no to the sexualization of children in public schools,” is backed by right-wing and religious parties. They say sexual education should come from the family instead. Some Swiss German cantons are currently considering putting in place a mandatory sex-ed curriculum. WRS’s David Goodman hears both side of the argument from Zurich Swiss People’s party MP Ulrich Schluer, who is on the committee behind the petition, and Fausta Borsani from the Swiss Foundation for Sexual and Reproductive Healt:
Schools, shops begin restricting energy drinks
Wednesday, 5 October, 2011
Energy drinks are big business. They all have potent names like Monster, Jolt and of course the old classic, Red Bull. Many young adults knock them back to get through those long nights on the dance floor, but what about those still in school and those already having trouble sitting through a math class? Though not forced to by law, two schools in the canton of Geneva have banned energy drinks, and now some shop owners, too, have started drawing the line. WRS’s Lucas Chambers went to visit one in Puidoux near Lausanne:
Wednesday, 5 October, 2011
Energy drinks are big business. They all have potent names like Monster, Jolt and of course the old classic, Red Bull. Many young adults knock them back to get through those long nights on the dance floor, but what about those still in school and those already having trouble sitting through a math class? Though not forced to by law, two schools in the canton of Geneva have banned energy drinks, and now some shop owners, too, have started drawing the line. WRS’s Lucas Chambers went to visit one in Puidoux near Lausanne:
New joint parental authority law seen as 'major step' forward
Monday, 3 October, 2011
Divorced parents in Switzerland will now have an equal say in their children’s lives after a decision in Parliament last week. The new law will make joint parental authority the default option in case of divorce. Currently judges usually favor one parent—often the mother. WRS’s Dave Goodman speaks to family law specialist Anna Reiser about what the new law means for divorcees and began by asking exactly what is meant by “joint parental authority”:
Monday, 3 October, 2011
Divorced parents in Switzerland will now have an equal say in their children’s lives after a decision in Parliament last week. The new law will make joint parental authority the default option in case of divorce. Currently judges usually favor one parent—often the mother. WRS’s Dave Goodman speaks to family law specialist Anna Reiser about what the new law means for divorcees and began by asking exactly what is meant by “joint parental authority”:
