Controversy over music lessons at Einsiedeln Abbey
For financial reasons, the Einsiedeln Abbey School is outsourcing its instrumental teaching to the Einsiedeln Music School. This will result in twelve instrumental teachers employed under private law at the Stiftsschule being made redundant.
As part of the budget cuts in the education system, the canton of Schwyz has cut contributions to Schwyz secondary schools. As a result of these cuts, Einsiedeln Abbey School now wants to make its instrumental teachers redundant. All teachers who teach instruments such as piano, violin, trumpet or singing at the grammar school are affected.
In a minor question, Cantonal Councillor Karin Schwiter wanted to know from the Cantonal Government what it thinks of the planned redundancies at Einsiedeln Abbey School.
In its response, the Department of Education writes that the layoffs affect twelve instrumental teachers employed under private law at the Stiftsschule with a total of 200 percent of their workload. More than half of these instrumental teachers are already employed by the Einsiedeln Music School.
All affected teachers have received a guarantee from the Stiftsschule that they will be able to continue working at the Stiftsschule, but with their new employer, the Einsiedeln Music School. As the salaries are different, the affected teachers will have to accept a reduction in salary, according to the Department of Education. It is understandable that such a step would lead to resistance and resentment among those affected. However, the decision to take this step is the sole responsibility of Einsiedeln Abbey School.
