Lucerne graphic arts class threatened with extinction
To save money, the canton of Lucerne plans to close the graphic design program. There is widespread outrage, and a petition is underway.
The 140-year old Lucerne Graphic Arts College offers full-time training as a graphic designer with a professional design baccalaureate and guarantees the best prerequisites for a successful start to professional life in the graphic arts sector - or for further studies. The canton wants to save three million francs through the planned closure. This was reported in the Neue Luzerner Zeitung last week. Susann Mäusli, managing director of the Swiss Graphic Designers Association, expressed her horror at the plans to the newspaper: "This is a disaster for the entire industry!" The association now wants to turn to the cantonal councils to fight for the school to remain.
The association has the support of the left-wing parties. For SP President David Roth, the closure of 140 years of anchored and functioning structures shows where "the tax dumping policy of the bourgeoisie" has led. And for Green cantonal councilor Katharina Meile, the plans are "a signal that young, creative minds are not as welcome to the government as letterbox companies".
A Online petition of the sponsoring association now opposes the planned measures. They point out the importance of the school for students and the entire economy. In addition, a closure would also damage the reputation of Lucerne as a cultural center - after all, the school has repeatedly provided important impulses, such as the founding of the Weltformat poster festival. In addition, the initiators are generally opposed to cost-cutting measures at the expense of education: "The closure of schools must remain a taboo. A clear-cutting follows a short-term financial optic. This completely ignores longer-term follow-up costs and damages the national reputation of the canton of Lucerne." (hae)
