12 years at the head of Collège Champittet

Dear Champiteans,

As I begin my 12th school year at Champittet, it is always a joy to be reunited with our more than 700 students and 220 colleagues. The theme for the 2026–2027 academic year will be ‘languages & cultures’, a key strength of the Champittet community.

Among the challenges we currently face are the persistent heatwaves, which raise the question of installing air conditioning in schools and the conditions required to do so; and also the ‘war for attention’, which pits educators against social media, a subject that is sure to see further developments.

As a staunch liberal and advocate of an ‘education-first’ approach (learning to say ‘no’ and exercising self-control over screen time), my opinion has changed as I have witnessed the harmful effects of social media. I now advocate that we must ban what amounts to a drug for the minds of our young people. For parents and teachers, it is far too difficult to battle against the armies of software developers, psychologists and other marketers employed by the social media giants, who always find a way to keep children’s eyes glued to their screens.

We are delighted to welcome Giuliano Da Empoli on 27 October for a Great Conference: as a best-selling author, Mr Da Empoli is highly skilled at explaining, in accessible terms, the threats posed to our democracies by the tech giants and autocrats. Tickets are on sale here.

Wishing you all a good start to the new term