Study shows which school Switzerland wants: Children should learn respect instead of discipline

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An ideal school does not focus on basic skills such as reading, numeracy and writing, and discipline and achievement. No, above all, children should learn tolerance and respect at school. On behalf of the Mercator Swiss Foundation, the Sotomo research institute surveyed 7,700 people aged 16 and over from across the country. Selected research results of the representative study at a glance:

What should children get from school for life? More than one answer can be clicked. Tolerance and respect received the highest approval with 78 percent. It takes 76 percent to learn to read, write, and do arithmetic. On the other hand, fewer participants find discipline and motivation (43%) or submission (16%) important.

Three quarters agree with the statement that children should go to school without pressure. And teachers should provide information that prepares children for the adult world.

Is everyone in a classroom learning the same thing at the same time? That doesn’t have to be the case: Four out of five respondents feel that every schoolchild should be able to learn at their own pace and ability.

This still doesn’t work well today, as an in-depth survey of parents showed: 13 percent said their children weren’t challenged enough. On the other hand, 8 percent of children in elementary school and 9 percent of children in high school are overwhelmed. For this reason, one in five children is not supported according to their level. “Schools will have to move away from the stepping stone entirely,” says Daniel Auf der Maur (50) of the Mercator Foundation in Switzerland.

It is especially important for parents that their children are happy at school – which is important to 84 percent of those surveyed. It seems that things are not going well today. Because only half of the parents state that their child enjoys going to school. One-third of parents think their child is often stressed about school.

One in ten children is afraid of going to school, is bullied, or is in regular conflict with other children. “These high numbers give me goosebumps,” says education expert Rahel Tschopp, 52. Therefore, he sees an urgent need for action.

Schools should do more about bullying or mental health problems in schoolchildren: Nine out of ten parents of affected children did not feel they had enough support.

The majority do not find the idea of ​​eliminating grades or assignments. However, there are differences between the various groups of respondents: more than half of parents of kindergarten and primary school children are in favor of removing grades. “The discussion about de-grading is supported by those affected,” says Viviane Leupin (38) of the Swiss Mercator Foundation.

Two-thirds of all respondents want to stick with the election: children should continue to be sorted into different types of high schools based on their performance.

Digitization should become more and more a school topic and schools should run special projects more often. However, respondents recognize that there is a lot going on in this area: they see today’s ways of learning and teaching as an improvement over their school days.

Most parents want more transparency and information from schools and more opportunities to have a say. “When it comes to parent involvement, there is a lot to improve. Involving parents is tiring but extremely important for teachers,” says teacher Rahel Tschopp. “I’m convinced we need to do this much more strongly.”

The reputation of teachers was not always the best. But a lot has happened here: The survey shows that teachers greatly appreciate their work. Four out of five people find the job difficult. Statements by teachers that they took too many vacations or earned too much received low approval (24 percent and 18 percent, respectively). Three out of five people think that new teachers are an opportunity for the school.

Source : Blick