Posture test costs canton CHF 50,000

The Canton of Aargau examines the political views of its teachers. The Ministry of Education has commissioned the Sotomo research institute to survey teachers and students in cantonal schools.

You want to know: Are the Aargau teachers too left-wing? The exercise will cost the canton CHF 50,000, the education department announced when Blick asked for it.

From the Kanti to the Kanti

The investigation was prompted by a high school diploma from three students from Baden, all three members of the Young Liberals. It showed that from the point of view of many students, the lessons in different subjects have a left-wing turn. Some students indicated that they were unable to express their opinion freely.

An FDP councilor then submitted a proposal to the cantonal parliament calling for a representative inquiry into political neutrality in high schools. After heated debate, the Grand Council accepted it this summer. Education director Alex Hürzeler (57, SVP) also spoke out in favor of the study.

Online survey and interviews

According to the department, the link to the online survey was sent to schools last week. All students and teachers can participate. In addition, the rectors of secondary schools were questioned in qualitative interviews, the authority said.

The canton does not yet want to disclose the specific questions that are being asked to the students and teachers. Just this: “The survey of high school students and teachers focuses on the way political issues are conveyed in the classroom and the associated concerns and individual perceptions.” The results of the study should be available next spring.

Zurich disagrees

While the political orientation of the Kanti teachers in Aargau is under investigation, the Zurich cantonal parliament has just spoken out against such an investigation. Inspired by the inhabitants of Aargau, the SVP had submitted a similar proposal. But unlike the Great Council of Aargau, a majority of the Zurich cantonal council found such an investigation to be erroneous and unnecessary.

“A group with steel helmets is afraid that our youth is being indoctrinated by left-wing teachers,” SP canton councilor Rafael Mörgeli (29), the nephew of former SVP National Councilor Christoph Mörgeli (62), said in the debate. But a “political police” has no place in Switzerland. The SVP, on the other hand, emphasized that they do not want to fire anyone, but strive to improve the quality of education.

However, the question is: what exactly do you want to do if the representative research concludes that the teachers are too left-wing? The initiative in Aargau provides for taking “measures to restore political neutrality in secondary schools in Aargau”. Which exactly should be determined by the governing council.