To choose a revision app in French-speaking Switzerland, five criteria matter more than price: genuine alignment with the PER (the French-speaking Switzerland curriculum), a natively Swiss-Romand design (not a French adaptation), the way the tool handles screen time, the room it leaves for the parent, and pricing transparency. Here is how to assess them, without the jargon.
This is the number one trust criterion in French-speaking Switzerland. A credible app names the HarmoS levels explicitly (1P to 11P, from the Swiss inter-cantonal school harmonisation) and ties its exercises to specific PER concepts, not just to a "subject". Be wary of vague "levels" (age, generic year): a good tool can tell you which concept, at which level, it has the child revise.
Many popular apps are designed for the French curriculum, then dressed up for Switzerland. The PER has its own structure (cycles 1 to 3, subject domains). A product designed natively for the Swiss-Romand framework will fit more closely what the child actually sees in class.
Look at the design, not the promises. Good signs: no notification that pulls the child back, built-in breaks, no addictive mechanics (streaks, random rewards), and a measure of active time rather than raw screen time.
| Criterion | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Alignment | HarmoS levels and PER concepts named |
| Origin | Designed for the PER, not adapted from the French curriculum |
| Screen | No nudging of the child, breaks, no hollow gamification |
| Parent | The parent sees progress and frames the revision |
| Price | Clear pricing, with no opaque renewal |
In Switzerland, the expected approach is complementary to school, not a substitute for the teacher. A good tool gives the parent visibility (what has been mastered, where the gaps are) and the ability to frame revision sessions, without turning the child into a self-directed user left to their own devices.
Readable pricing, with no automatic-renewal trap, is a sign of seriousness. Compare the real annual cost and check the cancellation terms before committing.
Escalio was designed around these five criteria: natively PER/HarmoS, conceived in French-speaking Switzerland, free of addictive mechanics, with parent oversight, and clear pricing.