Resolution on Effectively and sustainably combating the shortage of teachers

The ongoing shortage of teachers is one of the most serious challenges facing the Swiss education system. Primary and lower secondary education are particularly affected. VSS-UNES-USU sees this development not only as an acute education policy problem, but also as a serious threat to the quality of education, equal opportunities, and the attractiveness of the teaching profession. Despite individual cantonal initiatives, there has been no nationwide, strategically coordinated response to date. VSS-UNES-USU, together with ESU, particularly regrets the following points.

1. Effects of the teacher shortage

The consequences of the shortage of qualified teachers are complex and affect the education system on several levels:

a. Declining quality of education

Individuals without formal teaching qualifications are increasingly being employed to compensate for the shortage of teachers in the short term. This has a negative impact on the quality of teaching and therefore on the learning success of students. In the long term, this exacerbates the challenges at the secondary and tertiary levels. According to the PISA study in 2022 (p. 71), students who are affected by a critical shortage of teachers perform significantly worse than students who are not affected by the shortage of teachers. [1]

 b. Impact on social justice

The shortage of teachers does not affect all children equally. Students from socioeconomically disadvantaged families in particular are dependent on continuous reliable teaching. This continuity cannot be guaranteed when there are frequent staff changes or unqualified teachers. The shortage of teachers thus acts as an amplifier of social inequalities. [2]                 

c. Overburdening of existing teaching staff

Employed teachers have to take on additional lessons or train unqualified colleagues. This additional workload leads to an increase in mental illness, especially burnout. It also increases migration from the profession and is harmful to students. [3]

d. Instability due to staff turnover

Positions are often filled on a short-term or temporary basis, leading to high turnover among teaching staff. This also makes it difficult to build relationships and destabilizes everyday teaching for students.

e. Double burden and extended study time for students

Many students at universities of teacher education already take on teaching duties during their training. This double burden impairs the quality of training and often leads to extended study times. At the same time, the risk of economic exploitation increases, as teacher trainees are in many cases employed at lower rates than fully trained teachers. The quality of teacher training suffers – with long-term consequences for the entire education system. [4]

f. Mental health of teacher training students

Many teacher trainees (students in pedagogical schools) find the combination of studying and working in the classroom mentally stressful. Without adequate support services, this can lead to excessive demands, dropping out of school, or burnout. The stress is exacerbated in particular when there is no clear professional framework. [5]

g. Regional disparities

Due to the federal structure, there are considerable differences between cantons and also between municipalities. This is the case with salaries, admission routes, and support services, which leads to uneven competition for staff. The shortage in structurally weaker regions is thus further exacerbated. [6]

2. Criticism of the employment of unqualified teachers

A common response to the shortage of teachers is to hire people without teaching qualifications or adequate training. VSS-UNES-USU warns of the long-term consequences of this practice:

a. Lack of didactic and pedagogical qualifications

Teaching in schools requires a sound knowledge of didactics, methodology, and classroom management. Without these fundamentals, teachers cannot target learning processes or respond to different needs.

b. Lack of training in dealing with social challenges

In addition to imparting specialist knowledge, teachers must also be able to deal professionally with disciplinary problems, inclusion requirements, or emotionally stressful situations. These are skills that are usually lacking without training.

c. Individual support and inclusion at risk

Teachers without pedagogical training rarely have knowledge of individualized support or the legal basis for compensating for disadvantages. This can lead to students with special needs not receiving the support they require.

d. Lack of sensitivity to neurodiversity

Many neurodivergent children remain undiagnosed because untrained teachers are unable to correctly identify the symptoms. Looking out for early signs followed by targeted support are therefore not provided. This has far-reaching consequences for the development of the children affected.

e. Devaluation of the profession

When increasingly unqualified individuals teach, the reputation and attractiveness of the profession suffers. This creates the impression that no solid training is necessary for the teaching profession. In the long term, this also weakens wage development and the bargaining power of teachers.

Therefore, the Swiss Student Union, VSS-UNES-USU, together with ESU urge Swiss politicians to:

1. Provide the ERI area with sufficient funding by abandoning planned cuts in the ERI area as part of budgetary relief measures (so called EP27), allocate the full amount provided for in the ERI message within the annual budget, anticipating the drafting of the 2029-2032 ERI message by allocating funds specifically for addressing the shortage of teachers and examine the possibility of proposing an additional earmarked loan or credit for universities of teacher education.
2. Deploy a task force or expert group with representatives from the cantons, the federal government, and academia so that sustainable solutions can be proposed quickly. Amongst other tasks, it will commission a study that evaluates the expected development of FTE (full time equivalences) over a period of 10 years in relation to the number of pupils and the development of the quantity and quality of teaching services. It will also examine the possibility of proposing concordat solutions to limit the negative impact of intercantonal competition on employment conditions.
3. Propose legislative amendments to facilitate the recognition of professional activity in the teaching profession as practical experience and to prepare the implementation of the legal instruments enabling recognition of prior learning as well as EU programmes currently under development, like the Portability of Skills initiative. 
4. Coordinate intercantonal monitoring to develop data-based measures, as there is currently no systematic, Switzerland-wide survey on the status of the teacher shortage. Data on vacancies, training successes, workload, and teaching quality are recorded very differently from canton to canton or are not published at all.

Furthermore, the European authorities are asked to facilitate Switzerland’s participation in initiatives aimed at reducing the shortage of teaching staff. This involves, in particular, Switzerland’s access to the legal instruments developed, but also its participation in advisory bodies. 

References

[1] https://www.edk.ch/de/bildungssystem/kantonale-schulorganisation/kantonsumfrage/c-5-anstellung-ohne-lehrdiplom, Switzerland 2025

[2] A plea for a primary school that exploits the potential talents of children and young people, Markus Zürcher, Switzerland 2023, page 17 ff.

[3] https://www.lch.ch/aktuell/detail/schuelerinnen-und-schueler-sollten-moeglichst-wenig-von-der-schwierigen-personallage-mitbekommen, Switzerland 2023

[4] SKBF Education Report Switzerland 2023, page 306 f.

[5] Swiss Student Union, Resolution: Mental Health of Students, Switzerland 2023

[6] https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/so-gross-sind-die-lohnunterschiede-fuer-lehrer-je-nach-kanton-680533078251#, Switzerland 2022