AS its very name suggests, the German Swiss International School would not be what it is today without the considerable contribution made to it by the small but active Swiss community in Hong Kong.
'Ever since joining the daring educational undertaking on the Peak, the Swiss community of Hong Kong has played an important part in the history and functioning of the GSIS,' said Eberhard Schierschke, headmaster of the school.
One of the most visible elements of the Swiss contribution to the school has been the role played by the Swiss Association of Hong Kong along with the authorities back home in supplying three teachers from Switzerland.
In the 25-year history of the GSIS there have always been some Swiss parents on the School Board. Moreover, by an unwritten rule, Germans and Swiss have alternated as chairpersons of the Board. The school is unique in being the only joint educational institution in the world involving Germany and Switzerland.
In effect, the high degree of co-operation between the nationals of three German-speaking countries, which includes Austria, along with Germany and Switzerland, has been a fundamental factor in the success of GSIS.
The government of the Federal Republic of Germany, whose nationals comprise a bigger segment of the German-speaking population in Hong Kong, delegates 11 teachers from the country, while also making considerable financial contributions to the upkeep of the school.