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The latest national survey shows broad satisfaction among young people. Education plays a central role.
More than half of the 19-year-olds surveyed in Switzerland stated that they were very satisfied with their own living situation. And another quarter is rather satisfied. The figures are from 2019, i.e. before the corona pandemic.
Satisfaction depends heavily on the training, as head of research Stephan Huber from the Zug University of Education says. You can see this particularly strongly in those people who do not complete any further training after compulsory schooling.
«Education makes you happy»
According to Huber, people without education at the level of upper secondary school are significantly less satisfied with their lives. In this respect one could almost say as a slogan: “Education makes you happy”.
According to Huber, education is therefore key. And it has a lot to do with the parental home: almost two-thirds of young adults achieve the same educational qualifications as their parents. There are also some who get better degrees. But the group of those who graduate less well than their own parents is growing.
Radical change in reading habits
Other factors are also related to education: today’s 19-year-olds read less than they did ten years ago; the better educated read more than the less educated. The fact that young adults read less today is particularly evident when reading newspapers.
In 2010/2011, 64 percent of those surveyed read newspapers every day; today it is just 24 percent.
“With the newspapers, that has decreased radically. In 2010/2011, 64 percent of those surveyed read newspapers every day; today it is just 24 percent. Something’s going on there,” says Huber.
Risk potential: more young men without a degree
Society should pay attention to those 19-year-olds who have no education. The share has remained constant over the years at six percent.
There are big differences between the sexes: While the numbers for women without a degree have fallen slightly to four percent, they have risen to eight percent for young men. “This is a risk potential that is worth looking at from a social perspective,” concludes Huber.
Amherd: “Important findings for politics”
And politics is also looking, at least the responsible Federal Councilor Viola Amherd. Because the youth survey that emerged from the former recruit survey is commissioned by the Defense Department DDPS. The survey results provided important insights for politics, which is the actual value of the survey, Amherd emphasized to the media.
But hopefully Education Minister Guy Parmelin will take a close look at the youth survey alongside Viola Amherd – and take the right measures.