Teacher training for the system of primary education in Switzerland in the mid-nineteenth century

Abstract

The paper deals with primary education in Switzerland in the middle of the nineteenth century with a particular focus on the primary school organization in various cantons. It also reviews the training process of primary school teachers in Swiss teacher seminars. The materials used include specialist literature on the research topic. The methods of research were the principles of objectivity, historicism, systemic, complex consideration of social subjectivity in the subject of study, the maximum possible neutrality of the researcher towards the interpretation and evaluation of the actual material was assumed. The use of these methods allowed the authors to consider the system of singing training in educational institutions in retrospect and in historical sequence. Summarizing the discussion, the authors concluded that the government turned its attention to talent training for primary schools almost as soon as primary education was introduced in Switzerland in the 1830s. Such training entirely fell on the so-called normal schools - seminars preparing teaching staff, which were divided into two types - men's and women's institutions. Despite the existing diversity of teaching formats in different cantons in Switzerland, the Confederation government made considerable efforts to unify education in the country. On the other hand, in competing with other cantons, independent cantons were committed to bringing only best practices into the public education system.