Swiss schoolchildren are more and more absent

The Syndicat des Teachers Romands (SER) and its German -fashioned counterpart warn against increasing school absenteeism and present a series of measures to deal with it.

The increase in school absenteeism in Switzerland worries teachers’ associations. The Syndicat des Teachers Romands (SER) and its German -fashioned counterpart (LCH) presented a series of measures on Wednesday to apprehend this phenomenon.

Several cantons and cities report an increase in cases of school absenteeism, the SER and LCH underlined on Wednesday at a press conference on the start of the school year. A phenomenon that results in students who are repeatedly absent from school for several days or several weeks.

For the two associations, it is no longer just a question of “drying the courses”, but rather frequent and not justified absences from the students. “We are not talking about doing the bushy school or going to walk with friends on the sports field. These are absences that repeat themselves and which can raise fears of problems in terms of school monitoring and social integration, “said Ser David Rey president.

Valaisan also explains that there are no specific data on the phenomenon, apart from the figures given by certain cantons such as Valais.

Decrease in school schedule

To cope with this scourge, the two associations submitted a list of prevention measures on Wednesday. We find in particular the implementation of an early alert system. “There are kits that are developed in certain cantons to allow teachers to quickly detect these absences,” explains David Rey.

The SER and LCH also request awareness of parents, teachers and specialized psychosocial staff to recognize the first alarm signals.

As measures available, he cites a decrease in the school schedule, support or even calm spaces in schools. “The implementation of this device will take time and request a certain adaptation. There is not everywhere the means, the place or the system that are present. So each canton will have to get there, ”explains David Rey.

“Not looking for managers”

Invited by the Ser and LCH, the children’s psychologist Stephan Kälin believes that “no one can resolve the problem of school absenteeism alone. Interdisciplinary collaboration is therefore an essential instrument for combating helplessness which, in the event of school absenteeism, very often affects the entire system.

“We must not look for officials from this phenomenon, because everyone is affected by this problem,” explains David Rey. For him, the school has his role to play by being a place where students have fun going, because we take care to avoid issues such as harassment.

“It is also necessary that parents play the game by promoting a very positive vision of the school,” continues Valaisan. They must encourage their children to go to school and not to minimize this non-ENV to go.

Less tense situation

Last year, the Ser and LCH had alerted to the shortage of teachers who watched the schools. “Regarding French -speaking Switzerland, there has been great work to find trained teachers. To my knowledge, all the cantons have announced that all their posts had been postponed, ”says David Rey.

However, he does not wish to scream victory too quickly, because the situation remains tense and certain measures had to be extended.

The students of the cantons of Neuchâtel, Vaud, Geneva, the Jura and the French -speaking part of the canton of Bern will take back the way to the school on Monday, August 18. Those in Valais on Thursday August 21 and finally the Friborg students will start again on Monday, August 25. (JZS/ATS)