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Switzerland’s top teacher is surprised. According to a representative survey, a clear majority is satisfied with the education system. In the past that wasn’t always the case. There was a lot of criticism of the school and the teachers.
If the Swiss education system received a certificate, it would be happy. Three quarters of people in Switzerland give it good to very good grades. To put it more correctly: you are satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the school system. This is the result of a survey by the opinion research institute GFS Bern, which was commissioned by the SRG. Over 57,000 people took part.
Dagmar Rösler is pleased with the results: “This is surprising and shows that we fundamentally have support from the population,” says the president of the umbrella association of teachers.
Approval is slightly higher in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino at 82 and 79 percent than in German-speaking Switzerland at 72 percent. Comparatively, it is lowest in Romansh Switzerland at 69 percent.
Praise and criticism
Those surveyed think the dual education system is best, meaning that young people can choose between high school and a vocational apprenticeship. But the opportunities for lifelong learning and the work of the teachers are also viewed positively.
A majority doesn’t think it’s good to deal with students with learning difficulties. Specifically, 40 percent think that the children affected should be better supported. According to child and adolescent psychologist Andrea Lanfranchi, this is already happening.
Too many cooks spoil the broth.
However, he finds the number of parallel offers of help problematic. “Teachers want a single specialist to support them. Too many cooks spoil the broth.” In his opinion, pre-school support programs would be particularly important in order to improve the chances of starting school and prevent later learning problems. However, it is not a solution to teach all children with learning difficulties separately. “This stigmatizes them, and that worries me.”
Do more to combat bullying
According to the survey, other criticisms include that lessons should better prepare young people for life. A majority also believes that schools should do more to combat bullying and also teach discipline.
Schools should definitely take a close look at the issue of bullying and act, says association president Dagmar Rösler. However, you have to differentiate. A conflict between two children is not bullying.
Basically, she thinks one can and should criticize the school. You can always improve. Regarding the parents, Rösler says that the majority of them are well disposed towards the school. “These are our so-called “critical friends” who expect a lot from us and rightly so.”