Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics - IEA

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TEACHER PAY AND STUDENT MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT
Switzerland 23
Composition of the teacher labor force
The labor market for teachers in Switzerland is stratified according to level of education,
type of program, type of provider (public or private), region of the country (cantons
and communes), and subject matter (OECD, 2004a). Any imbalance between supply of
teachers and demand relates to imbalances in different sub-markets for teachers.
Results from the OECD International Survey of Upper Secondary Schools (ISUSS)
indicated that, in 2001/2002, the percentage of full-time equivalent teaching positions
to be filled stood at 13.9% of the total full-time requirement. This percentage was above
the OECD country mean of 12.3% (OECD, 2004a). Qualitative shortages were also
evident, although more at the lower-secondary and upper-secondary level than at the
primary level.
Although difficulties in recruiting teachers exist at different levels of the labor market,
the situation is worst at the lower-secondary level. Each advertised position typically
attracts between only one and five applicants, limiting the choice-set considerably. The
situation is particularly acute in mathematics and physics (OECD, 2004a). Principals
in upper-secondary schools say that the subject areas for which they have the greatest
difficulty hiring teachers are mathematics, computer sciences, and the sciences. The
situation appears to be less problematic in the social sciences (OECD, 2004a).
The teaching force in Switzerland is mainly female (just over 72% of all teachers in
public schools were female in 1999 at the primary level). The proportions change as one
moves to higher levels: only 45% of teachers are female at the lower-secondary level;
around 32% are female at the upper-secondary level (OECD, 2004a).
A study by Henneberger and Souza-Poza in 2002 put the turnover rate for the teaching
sector as a whole at approximately eight percent. This figure was below the average of
just over 10% for all sectors in the economy. There was some variation across cantons,
where the range was 5% to 11%. Because the teaching force is not particularly old,
retirement does not explain turnover in any significant way (OECD, 2004a).
Teacher recruitment, hiring, and education
The task of recruiting, selecting, and appointing teaching staff in Switzerland is
the responsibility of the cantonal and communal authorities together with the
commune’s school committees and the schools’ management/principals. The degree
of involvement of each of these stakeholders varies by canton. Generally, the school
principal/management plays the major role in recruitment and selection, even when
the formal responsibility lies with the school committees. This trend is especially true
of upper-secondary schools and schools in the French-speaking part of the country. No
standard procedure is followed during recruitment and hiring. In many cases, teachers
have the right to suggest who should be recruited. Sometimes they participate in the
selection process in their capacity as members of the school committee. The selection
procedure is, however, thorough. It typically involves consideration of applicants’ files
and “portfolios,” a guided visit of the school, interviews, and sometimes a probationary
23 Unless stated otherwise, information in this section is drawn from http://www.about.ch/education/index.html.