The Canton of Geneva in Switzerland officially recognizes Romanian language courses in public schools, facilitating the integration of Romanian children into the local educational system.

In the canton of Geneva, collaboration between educational institutions and immigrant communities has led to the official recognition of Romanian language courses in public schools. These courses are available and noted in the student’s report card, similar to other subjects. Alexandra Bota, co-founder of the Romanian Language Educational Center, emphasizes that parents receive information about the courses directly from the school, facilitating enrollment. A convention signed between authorities and the Romanian center allows the integration of the courses into the educational system, helping to preserve the cultural identity of Romanian children.

However, there are challenges related to identifying Romanian as the main language, as parents can only declare one language, which does not reflect the reality of bilingual families. Alexandra Bota highlights the difficulties of transmitting the Romanian language in mixed families, where the dominant language is often that of the host country. Additionally, parents are encouraged to speak Romanian at home to support the children’s language learning, considering that class hours are limited. This initiative from Geneva represents a positive example of cultural and educational integration for immigrants.