Social issues

On the joy of being a (class) teacher

Is the shortage of teachers a result of the profession being made less attractive?

by Margrit Brügger*

(31 October 2022) Rebellious children, demanding parents threatening to sue, excessive administrative tasks, the curricula and official inspectors who often aren’t helpful at all to pedagogy – class teachers are confronted with all this and on top of that often massively hindered in their work. Alain Pichard has described the diverse, sometimes trying tasks of a class teacher.1 So, how can you speak of the joy of being a class teacher?

The energy crisis

Can sun and wind fix it? Is the trigger also the cause? Is the energy crisis turning into an existential crisis?

by Ueli Gubler*

(18 October 2022) The skyrocketing energy prices leave no doubt, we are in an energy crisis, even if electricity is (still) flowing. It is rare that the trigger of a crisis is also its cause. If snowfall brings down a roof top, it is usually a material or calculation error that is the cause, not the snow.

Demolition – to protect the climate?

by Martin Killias,* President Swiss Heritage Society

(18 October 2022) (Edit.) In September 2022, the Swiss Federal Council adopted its message on the revised CO2 Act, with which it aims to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieve the 2030 climate target.1 The author, a lawyer and president of “Schweizer Heimatschutz”, has scrutinised this draft law.

Who is more crazy, the pacifist or the warrior?

by Christian Campiche,* Lausanne

(18 October 2022) Official Switzerland insists – it will buy the American F-35 aircraft. What for?

At the same time, the Swiss army’s budget is being increased by 2 billion francs. Who is offering more? The only advice I would give to federal councillor Mrs. Amherd and to all members of the Swiss General Staff is to read the life story of the Swiss apostle of peace, Max Daetwyler. What an extraordinary person! And I am not in the habit of indulging in eulogies.

“War is obsolete” – uphold human rights

Lack of mechanisms to penalise preparation and conduct of wars

by Thomas Scherr

(18 October 2022) There is a lot of talk about human rights. That is a good thing. There are arguments about freedom of expression, migration, poverty, and so on. There is outrage about the observance or non-observance of various human rights. All this is appropriate and important.

Ukraine and the collapse of Western values

by Guy Mettan,* freelance journalist

(3 October 2022) Timothy Snyder, one of the most prominent academic representatives of the Western establishment, describes the stakes of the Ukraine war in the September issue of the American magazine Foreign Affairs.1