The requirements are different – what they have in common is that the oral Matura is not mandatory. The federal student representation (BSV), which is dominated by the ÖVP-affiliated student union, shares this concern, but rejects strikes. When it comes to Matura, the AKS goes the furthest – it wishes that this year it should be de facto voluntary for the students. High school graduates should have the choice of whether their school leaving certificate is simply made up of the grades of the last two school years or whether they complete a regular written school leaving certificate and an optional oral school leaving certificate. The presentation of pre-scientific work or diploma theses should only take place voluntarily.
“This year’s high school graduation class is the hardest hit by the pandemic, but has received the fewest adjustments to the high school diploma,” said Vienna AHS state school spokeswoman Maria Marichici at a press conference on Monday. In the past two years, the oral Matura was only voluntary. Those who did not want to compete were given the grade of the final year in their Matura certificate in the subject concerned. There are also various simplifications for this year, but the oral matriculation examination should again be mandatory.
“Small local actions in schools”
The students cannot go on strike in the technical sense. Due to the pandemic, compulsory attendance at schools has been lifted anyway. The AKS also calls on the students to come to school regularly, but to leave the class for an hour. At around a dozen locations in Austria, meetings are planned in front of the school during this time, to which pupils from other locations should also come. In addition, there are “small local actions” from other schools.
This probably means the “call for a strike” by about 100 school representatives or their deputies around Mati Randow from the high school in Rahlgasse. In a mailing they “only” demand a voluntary oral Matura or VWA/diploma thesis and the reduction of the subject areas in the written matriculation examination. In addition, sufficient PCR tests for schools and fast lanes for schoolchildren should be available on all test streets (regardless of the Matura) and long-term security concepts for schools should be drawn up.
Ongoing contact with student representatives
What the initiatives have in common is that they don’t want to leave it at tomorrow’s “strike” if there is no concession from Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP). In total there are around 700 AHS and vocational colleges (BHS) in Austria. When asked, the Ministry of Education said that they were in constant contact with the student representatives. They wanted to stick to the Matura regulation, referring to simplifications such as the possible restriction of the subject areas in the oral Matura and the later submission date of the pre-scientific work (VWA). Federal school spokeswoman Susanna Öllinger (student union) wants to continue to rely on direct exchange with the ministry instead of “strike”. There is still time for that.
Source: Nachrichten
