Swiss teachers concerned about education standards

The teachers association says the shortage of qualified teachers is also the result of stress and low salaries. © Keystone/Gaetan Bally

The teachers’ association has warned of a decline in teaching quality at Swiss schools due to a lack of certified staff.

An increasing number of primary schools have had to resort to personnel who lack a professional qualification as a teacher, association president Dagmar Rösler told a news conference.

Rösler said the situation was critical in some regions, notably in the German-speaking part of the country, and schools often had trouble filling positions as the new term approaches.

She added that the shortage of qualified staff could lead to a growing number of pupils in private schools or parents applying for home schooling.

However, she said there were no reliable national statistics as education is the responsibility of the 26 cantons which are largely autonomous in Switzerland’s federalist system.

The association reiterated its demand for higher salaries to ensure the job of teacher remains attractive.

In several newspaper interviews, Rösler added that places in teacher training colleges were completely filled, but that it would take a few years before these students are ready to begin their careers in a school.

The associationExternal link represents about 55,000 teachers notably in the main German-speaking part of Switzerland.