Comment

There were a lot of incredibly interesting points that were raised in all of Dr. Yoon Pak’s videos and I know I’ll be doing as much background reading as I can on a lot of the topics mentioned. That being said, one segment that struck me on a personal level was “The Model Minority Myth”, being half-Asian (Indian) myself. (Sidenote: the term ‘Asian’ to me had become rather confusing after arriving in the US, because it almost always seemed to refer to the more East-Asian groups, rather than South-Asia, to the point where I had stopped identifying as ‘Asian’ myself. I was quite gratified, therefore, when South Asian examples were included in Dr. Yoon Pak’s slides as a part of the American Asian community. That being said, I’m still not sure that I would mark the field ‘Asian’ on a form for myself, simply because I’m not sure that it would convey what I mean. Would love to hear people’s thoughts on this!)

In Switzerland, where I grew up and underwent my education, I cannot claim that the same kind of high expectation existed for Asians from the institution’s side as they did/ do in America (even unofficially). As mentioned in a previous update of mine, to me there was rarely any palpable difference at all in how I was treated compared to my Swiss peers, though I don’t know that the same could have been said for children who had an accent/ struggled with the language etc. - I will need to do more research on that topic in the future.

Strangely enough, however, I was aware of this myth nevertheless. I distinctly remember understanding that an expectation to be good in school existed due to my heritage. What I cannot specify, is where it came from. I don’t believe it was something that was put on me directly by my parents or teachers, which is also why I never felt the need to conform to this idea. What I think happened, though, is that among family friends from other South Asian families, and potentially even my South Asian extended family, statements were made to pressurize their children, almost systematically. Obviously you’d hear it from time to time and it became ‘a fact’ in one’s head, albeit a low-pressure one for me.

I cannot explain the origins of these expectations - perhaps it’s ‘just cultural’. It’s definitely something worth inquiring after in the future, though. I’m ALSO curious to find out how the educational environment in Switzerland would have shifted since I went to school there 10+ years ago. Seeing as the demographic of the country has expanded a lot in those years, I imagine the situations in schools would be quite different as well, and definitely worth more research.

Update

The demographic grouping in education I’m choosing to focus on for this assignment are girls and women in Switzerland. A good deal of literature and information exists in regards to the history and development of educational rights and opportunities for women (as well as how that affected their ability to enter various fields of work over time), one of which I will be referring to very heavily: the chapter “4.1 Mädchenbildung und Koedukation” (English: Girls education and coeducation) in the “Frauen Macht Geschichte 1848–2000” (English: Women’s Power History 1848-2000) report published by the Eidgenössische Kommission für Frauenfragen EFK (English: Confederate Commission for Women Questions) in 2009.

Education prior to the introduction of the Compulsory Attendance laws starting in the 1830’s was a mostly private matter, reserved for wealthy or noble families. Even there, though, for girls an education first and foremost meant joining a convent. Starting in 1830, demands for a compulsory general education began to rise in the population. This education included 6 years of primary schooling where boys and girls would study religion, calculations, reading and writing as well as natural sciences. To these six years an optional two to three years of secondary schooling could be added, provided children did not have family or work obligations that would keep them. Girls tended to be a minority at this level. (EFK, 4)

Interestingly enough, to me, the education laws began as mostly equal and were adapted around the mid-19th century to become more segmented and gender-specific for the secondary education levels. Two primary points stood out in the discussion of education at that time:

• Single-sex education or coeducation (due to questions of morality as well as intelligence levels between the two sexes)
• The introduction of domestic sciences for girls

Both regulations were introduced at varying degrees of enforcement in most states. Domestic sciences became a lawful addition to the girls curriculum around the late 1850’s. The hours the girls spent studying domestic sciences would often substitute for natural sciences and classes like Latin (which was a requirement in order to continue to higher education).

Of course, at this point in history it was not even a given that girls would be attending secondary school at all. The lawful compulsion for secondary levels only began being introduced in the 1870’s when child labor laws were adapted, availing and almost necessitating that children have a prolonged compulsory school period. While this was enforced nation-wide by the 1930’s in most Cantons for boys, several Cantons either kept it to a shorter secondary school period for girls or made it entirely voluntary for them to attend it.

Small pockets of more advanced secondary schools for girls did begin popping up in the early 1900’s in select cities, though many remained institutionally unacknowledged for several decades more.

However, in the aftermath of the First World War and the years that followed, many women’s organizations motioned for general compulsory domestic science studies for girls nationwide, arguing in favor of ‘women-specific field’, such as “Hauswirtschaftslehrerinnen, Hortnerinnen, Kindergärtnerinnen, Krankenschwestern” (English: domestic science teachers, day care workers, kindergarten instructors, nurses) during the financial crises. (EFK, 7-8)

A strong gender-role dictating education continued to impact women for several decades more, enforcing domestic studies while making access to more ‘male-dominated’ fields harder for the general populace (though occasional individuals from more fortunate circumstances would be able to push through a majority of hurdles).

It is only during the 1960’s and 70’s that discussion of integrated schools with boys and girls on secondary and higher levels is readdressed and indeed protestant Cantons open the doors of the state schools to girls starting in the 70’s. It is around this time that women’s movements also begin pushing for stronger rights and initiatives towards equal education between boys and girls.

In 1981, the state declares equality on a constitutional level, requiring the same opportunities and requirements for girls and boys in education, among other things. Unfortunately, many Cantons take several years to properly implement this ruling, though it’s an important step in history nevertheless. It would last up until the 90’s for all Cantons to adjust their educational systems.

I confess that I had not been entirely aware of all of these details before diving into this assignment and reading up on the topic. A part of me is appalled at how long it took my country to realize the kind of equality that I enjoyed, blissfully ignorant. Another part of me, however, has also begun to understand some of the statements and behaviors of my teachers, particularly in early years, but truly throughout my education on a deeper level.

I have to consider that all of them would have had gone through some kind of form of restriction to their education growing up, since it was only really 90’s children that would have been completely unaffected by any kind of inequality, and that in a way they were all adapting to the changes as they happened, not only in rewriting their materials but having to readjust mindsets and world views.

I had 60+ year old teachers during middle and high school that would have been in school in the 50’s and 60’s - a completely different schooling environment. Very little of their experiences growing up and even developing as adults and teachers could technically count towards my education, if you want to consider the gender-prejudice and expectations that were imprinted on them. Of course, it is human nature not to be able to shake everything you’ve learnt in al lifetime and now, as I think back to some instances that I thought I’d forgotten but ring a bell in this context, I understand them from a whole different perspective.

That being said, I also had teachers, who were of the same age, but with whom you would never have known that these were the mindsets they were raised with. I count a lot of these teachers as some of my greatest mentors in life and I am now all the more grateful to them for what they did for my peers and I.

• 4.1. Mädchenbildung und Koedukation, 14 Seiten (PDF, 58 kB, 11.02.2009) - https://www.ekf.admin.ch/dam/ekf/de/dokumente/frauen_macht_geschichte/4_1_maedchenbildungundkoedukation14seiten.pdf.download.pdf/4_1_maedchenbildungundkoedukation14seiten.pdf
• Background reading on the Swiss Women’s Movement - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schweizer_Frauenbewegung