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Italian schools have a male quota: As there are currently many more female principals than male principals, male candidates with the same qualifications will be given priority when management positions become available for the new school year.

According to information on Thursday, the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wants to ensure a better gender balance with a corresponding decree.

In Italy, teaching children has traditionally been more of a women’s job: as early as the 19th century, there were more female teachers than male teachers, as the newspaper “Corriere della Sera” reported. Today the share of women is 83 percent, and in primary schools it is as high as 95 percent. However, in the past, men held the majority of senior positions; this ratio is now reversed.

The men’s quota should now come into force in regions where the gender gap is more than 30 percentage points, i.e. almost everywhere. In concrete terms, the next round of applications concerns almost 600 positions.

And in Switzerland?

In Switzerland the situation in the teaching profession is similar. At primary level 1-2, 95 percent of teachers are women. This is evident from figures from the Federal Statistical Office from 2021. However, the share of female teachers decreases noticeably as the higher school level increases. At lower secondary education level, 44 percent of teaching positions were held by men in 2021, but the trend is decreasing.

At secondary level II, for example in high schools, the gender ratio among teachers is balanced. Men make up the vast majority of professorships at universities; in 2019/2020, only 25 percent of all professorships were held by women. The trend is increasing.

The trend towards a decreasing share of women in higher education can also be observed in school management. However, there women only form the majority in primary school management. However, at lower secondary level, male school principals are over-represented, with only a few female teachers at the same level. The 2023 education report shows this.

(hah/sda/dpa)