In the canton of Zurich, only the kindergarten and lower school (KUst) course should be offered, as Education Director Silvia Steiner (middle) said on Thursday at a media conference.
The training course, which is only aimed at the kindergarten level, no longer leads to a nationally recognized diploma. So he should be discontinued.
If teachers in kindergarten and primary school have the same admission requirements and qualifications, it is also necessary that they are equal in terms of wages, as Myriam Ziegler, head of the elementary school office, said.
Instead of wage class 18, all previous and new kindergarten teachers should be assigned a class higher. In the upper part of the broad salary range, this can lead to an annual salary that is almost CHF 10,000 higher in a full-time position.
The government council expects annual additional costs of CHF 16.2 million per year. The canton bears 20 percent of the costs (3.2 million, 80 percent the municipalities (13 million).
With the KUst training, teachers are qualified to work both at kindergarten level and in the first three school years at primary level.
This is a win for the schools, for the children and for the parents, said Heinz Rhyn, rector of the Zurich University of Education. For example, mutual understanding is strengthened during the important transition from kindergarten to school.
Ziegler added that the job would also become more attractive for kindergarten teachers because they would have more career opportunities. And the KUst graduates are also interesting for schools because they can be employed at both levels.
Steiner was also convinced that the joint study course for kindergarten and lower school enables better support for the children when they start their school career.
With the higher wage classification, the government council is taking a first step towards improving the difficult situation at kindergarten level, according to the Kindergarten Zurich Association and the Zurich Teachers’ Association in a statement. The serious shortage of kindergarten teachers has developed into a serious problem.
The Greens describe the wage adjustment as a step that is overdue. The SP also welcomes them, since this increases the attractiveness of the profession, the satisfaction of the teachers and ultimately the quality in the kindergarten. For the EVP, too, the higher wage classification seems to be uncontested: kindergarten teachers make a decisive contribution to the successful educational development of the next generation.
The SVP, on the other hand, criticizes the abolition of the separate course for kindergarten teachers. The kindergarten level is not intended to impart school knowledge to the children. It takes special expertise to encourage children individually and in a playful way that is appropriate for their development and to prepare them for school without pressure.
The Zurich government council has passed the measures to strengthen the kindergarten for the attention of the cantonal council. Director of Education Steiner hopes that he will decide on this later this year, so that the adjustments could come into force in January 2023.
(sda)
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