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Birth rate causes schools crisis

Monday, 30 March 2026 06:30

Schools across the country are in crises - parents in the Zurich municipality of Hinwil are fighting to save a school that’s stood for more than 170 years.

The Unterbach schoolhouse is set to close, with renovation costs estimated at over CHF 700,000. Residents have taken the case all the way to the Federal Supreme Court.

But it’s not an isolated case. Across the country, schools are shutting due to falling birth rates, staffing shortages, and new regulations. 

In Melchtal in canton Obwalden, a village school will close as families consider leaving. 

In Thun, a daycare group was dissolved over staffing rules, while another primary school sits empty.

Many municipalities are looking to close schools due to low birth rates. 

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