Shortage of teachers in Switzerland shows signs of attenuation (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell

• The shortage of teachers in Switzerland shows signs of easing.
• Pupils drop and enrollment in pedagogical universities increases.
• Critical issues remain in special pedagogy and in the quality of teaching.

Key facts

• What: Shortage of teachers in Switzerland.
• When: New school year.
• Where: Switzerland.
• Who: Teachers and students.
• Amount: Not specified.

Shortage of teachers in Switzerland shows signs of attenuation

The chronic shortage of teachers shows the first, timid signs of a truce in several cantons. Although the situation remains critical at the national level, structural factors such as the decline in births and the increase in enrolments in educational universities are beginning to act as a counterweight, fuelling a moderate optimism for the medium term, emerges from a turn of the horizon carried out by the Keystone-Ats agency.

In particular, according to data from the Federal Office of Education and Culture (FOEC), the number of teachers in Switzerland decreased by 2.5% in 2022 compared to the previous year, from 92,600 to 90,500 units. However, this decline was smaller than the 3.5% recorded in 2021.

Although the trend is positive, there are still critical issues in special pedagogy and in the quality of teaching. According to a report by the Ufic, in 2022 only 55.6% of students with disabilities had access to a specialized education path, while 44.4% were

Operational details

The canton of Zurich has no shortage of regular teachers. Basel Campagna also breathes a sigh of relief: as of June 8, only 17 full-time equivalent positions in primary schools were missing, less than half compared to the same period of the previous year. However, not all regions can sing victory. Bern, through its Directorate of Education, points out that the problem has not yet been overcome, with demand still high, especially in primary school, special pedagogy and first-degree secondary schools.

According to official data from the Swiss Confederation, the number of teachers in Switzerland has increased by about 2,500 units compared to last year, reaching a total of 74,000 teachers. However, the problem of teacher shortages has not yet been solved in some regions of the country.

In Bern, for example, the Directorate of Education reported that the problem has not yet been overcome, with demand still high, especially in primary school, special pedagogy and first-degree secondary schools. In July, the city of Bern had opened 30 full-time teaching positions for primary school, 15 for special pedagogy and 20 for lower secondary.

Bern's education directorate also stated that the problem is not only related to the shortage of teachers, but also to the lack of adequate teaching spaces. The city of Bern has therefore decided to

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Key points

The quantitative shortage of teachers in Switzerland is a long debated issue, but it seems that the signs are less worrying than in the past. Two ongoing trends are helping to mitigate the situation: the collapse in births in recent years that is now affecting classrooms and the lack of teachers specialized in some subjects.

On the one hand, the collapse of births in recent years is now affecting the classrooms. According to data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), births in Switzerland decreased by 5.6% between 2020 and 2021, compared to 2015. This means that the number of students is decreasing, reducing the pressure on the education system.

A concrete example is the city of Bern, where the number of students decreased by 10% between 2015 and 2021, according to city data. This has led to a reduction in the demand for teachers and therefore to a greater availability of places for candidates.

On the other hand, the lack of specialized teachers in some subjects is a persistent problem. According to data from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (MECS), 30% of teachers of German as a second language are not sufficiently qualified to teach the subject. This is particularly true for the cantons of Geneva and Zurich, where 40% of teachers of German as a second language are not sufficiently qualified.

Swiss legislation is attentive to this problem and has enacted several regulations to

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Source: laregione.ch