Study program for Geneva primary school teachers to be shortened to three years
Published: Friday, Aug 23rd 2024, 09:40
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In the canton of Geneva, future primary school teachers will no longer have to study at university for four years after graduating from high school. The cantonal government and the majority of the Grand Council want to shorten the training period to three years and bring it into line with that in the other Swiss cantons.
In most cantons in Switzerland, training to become a primary school teacher usually takes place at teacher training colleges. The course lasts three years and is completed with a teacher's diploma and a bachelor's degree.
Only the canton of Geneva deviates from this training model, where the university offers a four-year course for future primary school teachers. However, this is becoming increasingly unpopular. The reasons for this lie not only in the longer training period, but also in the numerus clausus of 100 students required by the canton.
Every year, around 70 Geneva students therefore complete their training in another canton before returning to Geneva to teach. The amendment to the Education Act passed by the right-wing majority in the Grand Council would shorten teacher training at the University of Geneva to three years. The aim is to train more students in Geneva and enable them to enter the job market more quickly.
On September 22, the voters of the canton of Geneva will decide whether they want to abolish the Geneva special school allowance. The left and the teachers' unions have launched a referendum against the bill.
She is convinced that the current university education offers a high level of expertise that meets the complexity of the profession and the needs of an urban canton. In their opinion, three years is not enough to train generalists who are able to teach up to 14 subjects at primary school level (grades 1 to 6).
Opponents also criticize the fact that the teaching profession, which is 80% female, could restrict mobility opportunities and lead to lower wages due to less comprehensive basic training. This criticism is shared by the Mouvement Citoyens Genevois (MCG) and the centrists, who are also calling for the reform to be rejected.
Tax reduction for entrepreneurs
In a second referendum, Geneva voters will decide on a tax reduction for entrepreneurs who own at least 10% of their company and who work and live in the canton. This amendment to the law on the taxation of natural persons aims to support the local economy by reducing the tax burden for entrepreneurs.
It introduces a reduction in wealth tax of 80 percent for unlisted securities worth up to CHF 10 million and 40 percent above this amount. Around 4300 entrepreneurs would benefit from this.
The bill is being opposed by the left-wing alliance "Ensemble à Gauche" with the support of the interprofessional trade union for employees, the Syndicat interprofessionnel de travailleurs. The opponents are complaining about tax losses of around 30 million francs.
In their view, this tax giveaway does not even benefit the majority of owners of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). For these, the tax cut would amount to a "paltry" 129 francs on average, they say. The main beneficiaries would be a privileged minority of 23 taxpayers with a company value of over CHF 30 million, whose taxes would be reduced by an average of CHF 500,000.
©Keystone/SDA
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