SJ Stich/Toumi: “Today’s high school diploma is a relic from times long past!”

2023-11-18 14:55:15

Socialist Youth welcomes the SPÖ Vienna’s affirmation of the abolition of the Matura in its current form

Vienna (OTS) – “Our education system must finally arrive in the 21st century. There is also a need for action when it comes to the Matura. Anyone who has passed all exams for at least 12 years does not need a final decision day. On the contrary, students should be able to prove that they can actually apply what they have learned over the years. We propose to replace the Matura with practice-oriented project work,” say Paul Stich, Chairman of the Socialist Youth Austria and Rihab Toumi, Chairman of the Socialist Youth Vienna on the occasion of a corresponding proposal at the Vienna Conference of the SPÖ Vienna, which was accepted by the delegates.

For Toumi, the main focus is on the lack of connection between the school leaving certificate and the real world. “Thousands of young people achieve great things in our schools every day – but our school system far too often prevents them from fully developing their potential and strengths. Instead, it is becoming more and more common to learn by heart and pray it down. Anyone who is satisfied with this situation, like Education Minister Polaschek, is hindering young people’s development. A rethink is needed here. “This is the only way the school leaving certificate would no longer be just an annoying final test, but could actually give young people something for life,” explains Toumi.

In this context, Stich points out that this decision is by no means a new one within the SPÖ. “As early as 2021, at the request of the SJ, the SPÖ federal party conference decided to call for the abolition of the Matura in its current form. “Today’s commitment by the Vienna SPÖ to this decision illustrates the need for action in this area,” said Stich.

Finally, Stich and Toumi emphasize the need for change, which is also underlined by teachers. “Many students are not the only ones who would like to develop their talents more and see alternatives to the Matura. Also According to an AK survey, 78% of all teachers think it makes sense to rethink the design of the Matura. Almost two thirds of all teachers surveyed also noted that the current high school exams meant a lot of pressure. Anyone who uses these figures to reject the debate about a sensible redesign of school leaving certificates for ideological reasons has a lot in mind – but certainly not the best possible school for young people in this country“, the two concluded.