Vorarlberg students choose Swiss teacher training despite tuition fees

More than 40 young people from Vorarlberg have chosen teacher training in Switzerland this year, according to ORF. They pay 850 euros per semester at the St Gallen University of Teacher Education, but can expect higher salaries after qualifying.

There are currently 42 Austrian students at the university in the municipality of Rorschach in neighbouring Switzerland. They are training there instead of at the University College of Teacher Education in Feldkirch to become primary school teachers. Students from Vorarlberg account for eight percent of all students.

An entry-level teacher at a primary school in Vorarlberg earns just over 50,000 euros gross per year. In Switzerland, the figure is around 85,000 euros gross.

Financial considerations are not the only reason students choose Switzerland. Vorarlberg students say teachers receive greater recognition there than in Austria. Many also value the earlier start to practical training: prospective teachers are already working in classrooms after six weeks.

Anyone who wants to teach in Austria after completing the Swiss programme must pass a recognition examination. Teachers are currently sought in both countries.