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The school is meant to be a serene place of learning, but it can't be completely free of the vagaries of the real world. When the state forces the takeover of one of the nation's largest banks by another, waves reach the school. Is there any possible point of view from which to draw lessons for our students?
The first thing that comes to mind is the impact on employment: 9,000 to 12,000 people, according to estimates in the press, could lose their jobs. Compassion must be expressed. The student can also become aware of the uncertainty inherent in the economic world, the need to remain agile, to build a CV rich in experience. Adaptability and resilience are tested.
Economics and law professors might consider the moral and legal responsibility of those involved in the weakening of Credit Suisse. What is the degree of responsibility of board members and management for risk management? What is the link between short-term performance pay and the long-term financial health of the bank? What lessons have been learned from the sub-prime crisis of 2007-2009? Why did BCV or the Zürich Cantonal Bank not experience these setbacks?
In the civics course, students might consider the role of shareholders in stockholders' meetings of public companies, by analogy with democracy in politics: who votes on what? Who alerts on risks? How are directors and management relieved?
The theme of complexity could be of particular interest to history teachers: are the economic giants manageable? Are there particular fragilities in the large listed banks? Can the spread of markets be moderated? The role of social networks seems to be in question: will financial information spread without professional intermediaries (press, agencies) animate our stock markets in the future?
In a computer science and technology class, I would suggest thinking about the increasing automation of the stock market. The vast majority of transactions are generated by software: are these machines capable of self-moderation?
Either actively, as future investors, or passively, as future beneficiaries of pension funds, our students must know the basic mechanisms of markets and finance.
Boarding at Collège Champittet offers the opportunity to enjoy exceptional adventures not only in Switzerland, but also around the globe! Recently, a group of our boarding students travelled to Oman to spend an unforgettable two weeks immersed in culture and nature.