Demand-supply regulations on the educational labor market in Switzerland on the example of geography teachers

Abstract

The current problem on the educational labour market is the important issue raised in the international arena. The lack of the qualified teachers and the deepening qualitative decline in newly admitted candidates for the teachers studies is a problem of many highly developed European countries. Switzerland is one example of these countries. A highly developed country of the Western Europe, which could become an example for developing countries, has been struggling with problems in the demand-supply structure of employment among teachers for many years. The author of this publication attempted to explain the interaction of demand-supply on the educational labour market in this country on a example of geography teachers. It was supplemented with the opinions of the professionally active geographers about the employment in this profession. The analysis were based on the current documents concerning the organisation of compulsory education system in Switzerland and supplemented with information gathered from interviews with teachers. The performed analysis indicates the significant influence of legal regulations regarding the organisation of the educational system. They, next to demographic factors have the greatest impact on the shape of the labour market for geography teachers in Switzerland. The legal framework of the educational process cause that the lack of possibility full-time employment opportunities and the need of combine jobs are the biggest problem of this group. The solutions attempting to stabilise the demand-supply structure often influence on the qualitative decline of the provided educational services. Therefore, the analysis of the educational labour market in relation to the market response to these changes and whether the country is ready to meet the needs of its structures is an important aspect of the reform of the education system.