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Around 500 people demonstrated in front of the Schwyz town hall. They demanded better working conditions at school.
“The burden has increased significantly in recent years,” complains a special education teacher from Lachen. “I can no longer do justice to the children,” says a primary school teacher from Schwyz. A professional colleague from Wangen adds: “It cannot be the case that all teachers burn out sooner or later.” The three of them gathered today with around 500 other teachers in front of the Schwyz town hall.
The topic doesn’t just concern teachers
The cantonal associations of teachers and school principals called for the demonstration. You presented a petition to the Schwyz education director on Wednesday. This calls for better working conditions at all levels (see box). Over 4,500 people signed. The concern extends far beyond school buildings: only around 2,000 teachers work in the canton of Schwyz.
The many staff changes in the school, the increasing pressure of parents’ expectations and the growing number of administrative tasks are particularly demanding. In addition, wages in the canton of Schwyz are comparatively low (see graphics).
Knowledge of the grievances is not new in the canton of Schwyz: as early as 2022, the Schwyz Education Council was commissioned to look for the causes of the shortage of teachers in the canton. In order to defuse the problem, Schwyz is now offering a crash course for career changers.
Legend:
A rare sight in the canton of Schwyz: several hundred teachers took part in the demonstration in front of the town hall.
Keystone/Urs Flüeler
The stress at work is also high, as a survey from December 2023 shows: 64 percent of teachers describe themselves as being heavily or very heavily stressed by their job. Politicians must finally act now, says Pascal Staub, President of the Association of School Heads on the sidelines of the demonstration: “We need a clear yes to education, the only raw material in the canton of Schwyz.”
Director of Education Michael Stähli is impressed by the fact that the working conditions mobilize teachers so strongly: “I am very impressed by this demonstration.” He refers to the education council to solve the problems. He has already presented a catalog of measures. In it he takes up demands from the petition submitted, such as an additional relief lesson for class teachers or higher wages. Cost: 11 million francs.
Associations not satisfied with proposal
For the associations, the ideas go in the right direction, but are not enough: the school principals and teachers criticize, for example, that only teachers with a workload of 70 percent or more would benefit from the planned wage increases.
Legend:
Education Director Michael Stähli, Rita Marty from the Teachers Association and Pascal Staub, President of the Headmasters Association.
Keystone/Urs Flüeler
You have to set priorities and you can’t just hand out money with the watering can, explains education director Michael Stähli. The idea of encouraging as many people as possible to work high hours is attractive to him, says headmaster Pascal Staub: “But first and foremost I need enough people.” And these are desperately needed everywhere: 95 positions are currently advertised in Schwyz.