Twos and Fives since 1880
Le Rosey is almost like Hogwarts: on the school grounds, on the shores of Lake Geneva in the canton of Vaud, there is a real medieval castle from the 14th century, Chаteau du Rosey. The school itself was founded in 1880. Later, an additional campus was opened in Gstaad, where students live from January to March.
Le Rosey is the only 'seasonal' educational institution in the world: only here students learn sailing on Lake Geneva in the summer, and skiing and snowboarding in the winter. In the cold season, classes end by noon, so you can ski until dusk.
This is for the Smart
Le Rosey's educational philosophy is what Harvard calls 'versatile erudition.' Namely: academic education, aesthetic development, and good physical fitness.
At the student's choice, instruction can be in English or French, and there are bilingual programs. No more than ten students per class. The student-to-teacher ratio is five to one.
Le Rosey has a SPA center, a stable, a concert hall with a thousand seats, and a football field. It also has its own yacht. For applicants, there are entrance exams and an interview; the competition is four people per place. Le Rosey likes to emphasize that it is not just a school for 'money bags': if a child does not shine with abilities and is not inclined to academics, they will not be admitted.
Staid 1950s and Wild 1990s
Le Rosey is a boarding school. Students live here permanently, going home only for holidays.
Children from all over the world study at the school. There are about 400 people from 63 countries, aged 7 to 18. The national composition well illustrates the changes that have occurred in the global economy in recent decades. In the 1950s and 1960s, most students were from the USA, Italy, Greece; in the 1970s, from Arab countries; in the 1980s, from Japan and Korea; and in the 1990s, from Russia.
It is said that in the wild 90s, children of Russian oligarchs made up a third of all students and carried out 'terror' against other students. As a result, one non-Russian family was even forced to take their child out. Now the school has a ten percent quota on the number of students of any one nationality, which minimizes the risk of any domination.
Rich and Richer
'In the 1950s, when I first came here, Le Rosey was completely different. Royal offspring and sheikhs were looked down upon; the school was predominantly American,' says Taki Theodoracopulos, a columnist for Spectator, who lives in Gstaad. Then, according to him, everything gradually changed.
John Lennon, Elizabeth Taylor and Roger Moore sent their children to Le Rosey. The Duke of Kent and Winston Spencer Churchill, grandson of the legendary British prime minister, studied there. Now there are more children of businessmen.
Shall We Compare or Not?
'I saw a helicopter with a Russian student land right on the football field. I was shocked by such a display of wealth,' recalls Annabel Jowers, who worked at Le Rosey in 2008. 'This was very different from the behavior of students in a typical English boarding school. One student even wore a sweater with the inscription "I AM RICH". It seemed to me that boys wanted to emphasize their wealth more than girls did.'
The issue of snobbery is a headache for director Michael Gray. He assures that none of the current students put on airs or consider themselves above others, nor do they compare their parents' wealth and social status.
Rich Marry Rich
The school has its own social network. With its help, alumni (so-called Ancien Rosеen) can communicate with each other, get to know students from other years, establish relationships, and then – who knows... However, Jowers assures, many find a partner long before graduation.
Yulia VERBI.
«Lenta.ru»