The Geneva Grand Council has backed private schools in the canton and will allow them to continue to accept children at 2 and a half years old.
The cantonal Education Department wanted to have the same rules that cover private and public education. Public schools in Geneva accept children from three years old.
But private schools say such a system would impact many of the international curricula they follow which requires children to start earlier and also increase pressure on crèches which are already lacking thousands of places.
Following a vote on Friday, the Grand Council has agreed international schools can continue to operate their own admissions policy.
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