The hospital school at the Children’s Hospital Zurich
The hospital school of the Children’s Hospital Zurich is a public hospital school recognized and supervised by the Department of Education of the Canton of Zurich. The pupils are children and adolescents with chronic illnesses or long hospitalizations.
Long and frequent hospitalizations can have a lasting impact on the whole environment and the further development of children and adolescents. The hospital school seeks to create the best possible conditions and support for them so they can successfully start and continue their educational path despite their illness. In addition to the pedagogical mandate, the hospital teachers also convey important learning and coping strategies and encourage patients to find a way to live and deal with their difficult, often dramatic situation.
Why the preschool (kids of 2-3 years) is so important
Many patients at the Children’s Hospital Zurich have a long hospital history, which begins well before the first day of school. Specifically children at preschool age from 2-3 years onwards need to be pedagogically supported because they are negatively affected in their development by their illness and frequent hospitalizations. The kindergarten teacher creates an environment that encourages curiosity and learning, a setting in which children can thrive, learn something new every day and socialize and interact. Thereby, their start into mandatory education (which starts at age 5 with kindergarten) is prepared for in the best way possible.
Your donation
The tuition during the mandatory education period, i.e. from kindergarten until 9th grade, is (at least partially) covered by the canton where the children reside. From the school year 2018/2019 onwards, however, the preschool will no longer be financed by the Department of Education of Zurich due to cutbacks. In order to maintain this offer for this particularly vulnerable patient group, the Children’s Hospital Zurich is in urgent need of third-party funds and donations.