Pre-scientific work (VWA) at general secondary schools is replaced by “final work”.
Vienna (PK) – Due to a deadline, today’s was at the end National Council meeting one presented by the coalition Digitization package for schools without prior consultation in the teaching committee on the agenda. The proposed law was approved in the second and third readings with a majority of votes from the ÖVP and the Greens, taking into account an amendment. The amendment contained the changes already announced by Education Minister Martin Polaschek regarding “final work” by high school graduates. The opposition parties criticized the package and called it a “hush-bottom” move.
Education Minister Martin Polaschek summarized that this legislative package brings digitalization, relief and individualization. The “further development of the VWA” (pre-scientific work) brings “great joy” to those affected because it creates new opportunities, said Polaschek. It was important to him that this change was decided now and not waited for a whole school year.
Digital certificates and student ID cards
In the future, school certificates will be digitized and available to citizens digitally even after school is over. The student ID card is also becoming digital. The edu.digicard can be applied for free by students or, for those under 14, by their legal guardians. The approved legislative package also includes an extension of the time limit for school experiments to twice the duration of the educational course as well as simpler data collection for summer schools.
Final work on AHS starting next school year
Until now, the final work in general secondary schools consisted exclusively of a “literature work”. The format is now open and students have the opportunity to present a multimedia product, a work such as a sculpture, a video report, a podcast or empirical surveys and their interpretation instead of a classic thesis. The students should be able to decide for themselves whether they want to create their work digitally or analogue or in combination, but also taking AI-specific skills into account. Important for verifiability and assessment is the documentation and reflection of the development process and the sources used, according to the explanations for the proposed amendment. For a transitional period – including the 2028/29 school year – students can choose to take another written or oral Matura exam instead of the final paper. There will no longer be a final thesis at secondary vocational schools in the future; the diploma thesis will remain at secondary vocational schools. The amendment also contains a change regarding admission to the university entrance examination for applicants for school training that requires a school-leaving examination – for example a college. This is now possible two years earlier than before, namely from the age of 20 – instead of from the age of 22.
No approval from the opposition
Petra Tanzler (SPÖ) criticized it as a “happy” campaign shortly before the National Council elections. Some approaches in the package presented can be viewed “positively”, but they do not want to agree to a quick wave through. The SPÖ has been pointing out for a long time that a reform of the school leaving examination is necessary, but suggestions in this regard have always been rejected and now there is a “hasty change,” said Tanzler. Christian Oxonitsch (SPÖ) also said that this legislative package was trying to “simulate activity in some way.” He referred to 137 postponed motions in the teaching committee, some of which also included proposals to change the Matura.
The further development of the VWA to “final work” is not a milestone, but a “little stone towards changing the Matura,” said Rudolf Taschner (ÖVP). There is “still a lot of room for improvement” in the redesign of the Matura, but the key thing is that performance is emphasized, said Taschner. Gertraud Salzmann (ÖVP) submitted the amendment to the proposed law and briefly explained the changes it contained.
Hermann Brückl (FPÖ) found that the digital student ID card was not a major innovation. According to Brückl, the sensitive aspect of the digitalization measures included in the legislative package is data protection, as data is sent that “we don’t know exactly where it will be stored.” The VWA should be “cancelled without replacement” and the Matura must be “high-quality work,” he demanded. He also spoke out against plans for an all-day school, because schools are “not care facilities,” said Brückl.
Sibylle Hamann (Greens) said that the paperwork at the start of school would be counteracted by digitalization in the school sector. The reform of the VWA is “sensible”. They were further developed creatively instead of simply abolishing them and capitulating to AI. The final work can now take on “many different forms” and thus bring out the students’ individual talents.
The legislative package presented contains “small things” and “obvious things,” said Martina Künsberg Sarre (NEOS). The extension of the school experiments is also a “sham solution” because people do not dare to introduce “real school autonomy”. When changing the VWA, she identified “hudelei”.
Setting a deadline
After the end of the 272nd National Council meeting, another meeting took place meeting a federal-state agreement to change the basic service agreement (2657 d.B.) until July 4, 2024. This contains an increase in the maximum cost rates for vulnerable strangers in need of help and protection and was assigned to the Internal Affairs Committee. (End of National Council) bea
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