In (the German side of) Switzerland, little children grow up only speaking dialect until they are school aged (6). They speak dialect at home. However, the kiddie shows and cartoons are in high German. Once they start school, all instruction is in high German. All books are in high German. They do absolutely FINE speaking dialect all day long, and studying and reading and writing high German. Not only that, but in high school they are expected to study two other languages as well.
Dialects are SPOKEN forms of language. They are not written.
Oh, and as for Jewish Americans asking for special treatment language-wise? We think a little more of our children than that. We fully expect them to speak, read, and WRITE excellent English, and be able to at LEAST read fluently from another language written in another alphabet (Hebrew, of course). And they do! Same with many Asian-American families.
I wish that most black kids came from two-parent families who were focused enough on the kids to expect great things from them, rather than dumb an already dumbed-down system for them. The kids could excel, but not with these low expectations. This really steams me.
THe Swiss-German to which you refer is called "schwaebish" or "Schwope-Deutsche". The propper or High German to which you refer is "Hoch-Deutsche".
My grandfather (Opa) was from Northern Germany (Hannover) and my grandmother (Oma) was from souther Germany (Stuttgart). Opa mercilessly pesterd Oma about her Schwaebish constantly.
Yes. They are decidedly different.