When a society changes itself: concerning the development of teacher education in the canton of Wallis between 1950 and 1970

Abstract

The contribution analyzes the politics of education in the canton of Wallis that accompanied the transformation of parts of the public schools between 1950 and 1970. The advent of modernity and the democratization of the system of education had marked consequences, in particular because so far the canton had strongly inhibited the development of the industry and had held on to its outdated political and social tradition. That changed in the 1960’s. The system of education was democratizised, the middle schools opened themselves to broad classes of society, and professions of the tertiary sector of occupations attracted young people. The teaching profession lost some attraction. New models of training were introduced that also initiated the downfall of the teacher’s college as the traditional form of teacher training.