Switzerland
Partner

Anna Becker

Anna Becker is a PhD candidate and research assistant in the Department of Education Sciences at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, where she oversees student internships and teaches a seminar within a practical module in the BA program. Her degrees are in education with a specialization in linguistics (M.Ed.) and foreign language teaching and cultural studies (M.A.) from the University of Mainz, Germany. She received her teaching diploma for upper secondary school at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. Her lines of research focus on educational linguistics, multilingualism in schools, migration and inequity.

National Context

Switzerland’s federal system consists of 26 cantons, each of which governs its own provision of education.  The country has four national languages (German, French, Italian and Romansch), divided into different linguistic regions.  The education curriculum is constructed in two (mostly harmonized) iterations – one for the French and one for the German.  Nearly all teachers are prepared in “teacher colleges” and a relatively recent education law (2006) called for the training and installment of school principals in Swiss schools, most of which operated with no school leader.  Swiss education is highly efficient and effective, with current issues including inclusion of students with special needs as well as migrant students and the increasing stress of school leaders and educators with higher levels of accountability.

Swiss Case Studies

Case Study: School Co-Leadership

Case Study: Diversity-engaged Leadership