The teaching profession in Switzerland is losing its charm in the eyes of many seeking career options, according to research by the Swiss Teachers’ Union.
Teachers in Switzerland are systematically underpaid, compared to professionals in the financial or pharmaceutical sector, for instance, where salaries have increased by 30 per cent in the last 25 years.
That’s according to new data on salary and working conditions published by the Swiss Teachers’ Union (Lehrerinnen und Lehrer Schweiz [LCH]), an affiliate of Education International in the country. A long-term stagnation in the indexation of salaries has led to precarious living and working conditions for many education professionals, especially in the pre-primary and primary levels, the report shows.
The union is urging regional administrations to increase teachers’ salaries to attract and retain qualified and competent staff in the profession.