The Jura Arc School of Education common to the cantons of Bern, Jura and Neuchâtel (HEP-BEJUNE) wants to strengthen its attractiveness by proposing, from the start of the 2025-2026 school year, an adjustment to the duration of training at primary level. It thus intends to help prevent a shortage of teachers.
From the 2025-2026 academic year, candidates for a primary school teaching diploma will be able, if they wish, to complete their Bachelor’s degree part-time over a maximum of ten semesters instead of six semesters full-time. Students will therefore have more time to train.
This project must allow the inclusion of people undergoing professional retraining. The objective is also to make it easier for parents to complete the course, for example. “It’s about promoting access to studies for a particular audience,” explained Patricia Groothuis, head of the primary education sector, on Thursday.
Nearly a quarter of students interested
For HEP-BEJUNE, there are a certain number of people who are not certified, but interested in following training which is based on greater flexibility. The institution notes that it is sometimes difficult to follow full-time training over three years to obtain a Master’s degree.
With this choice of adjusting the duration of primary education studies, HEP-BEJUNE hopes to strengthen the attractiveness of this sector. She estimates that 20% of future students could be interested in this academic path. The institution also aims to prevent a possible shortage of teachers in the Jura region.
“Tense situation”
“For the moment, the region is spared from the shortage, but the situation is tense,” underlined rector Maxime Zuber, based on figures from the Federal Statistical Office. “The shortage threatens, we are very attentive,” he added, noting that the situation was more difficult in German-speaking Switzerland.
Each year, HEP-BEJUNE welcomes more than 600 students whom it trains for teaching professions at all levels of compulsory and post-compulsory education. Entirely financed by the three cantons, HEP-BEJUNE deploys its activities on the sites of Bienne, Delémont and La Chaux-de-Fonds.
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