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Witzmann, Erich
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5 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
More advertisement for technical colleges
For more than a week thousands of students at several Austrian universities have been protesting among other things against overcrowded lecture halls. With an eye to the many free places at the country's technical universities, Die Presse writes that the government should do more to stress the prospects graduates of technical colleges have. "Certainly it was quite tactless of [Minister of Science and Research] Johannes Hahn to talk of introducing student fees - unrealistic in the coalition with the SPÖ - thereby adding fuel to the flames. At the same time it is of little help when now the government leaders sit back self-contentedly and leave Hahn - who has just been nominated for Brussels as Austria's new EU commissioner - standing out in the rain. University financing is a general problem. It's not enough merely to point out that students are being welcomed with open arms by the technical colleges and institutes. More should be said about the challenges and benefits of studying there, and also about the lucrative job prospects for graduates."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Austria
The illiterate at a disadvantage
In Austria there are around 300,000 functionally illiterate persons, in other words people who can recognise letters and write short words but are unable to understand a longer text. On the occasion of Unesco's Literacy Day on September 8 the daily Die Presse expresses concern about this figure: "A school system that focuses only on high-performance groups and continuously higher qualification … overlooks the fact that a solid basic education is the top priority for a not so small section of the population. The upper stratum, namely the highly gifted, barely receives support, and nor does the lower stratum. … This doesn't help functionally illiterate persons who can't understand the meaning of a text. They are at a disadvantage both at work and in the private sphere (for example in driving tests), and they are the first victims on the labour market. The labour market data confirms this, not just in developing countries but also in highly industrialised Europe. Austria is no exception in this respect."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Austria
Better pay for Austrian teachers
The scramble for places at Austria's teacher training colleges this year has broken all records and is a clear indication of how insecure young people feel about the future in these times of crisis, the daily Die Presse writes: "Calls for the best [students] to enter the teaching profession are a fixed feature in the debate about schools. But you only get the best - whether male or female - by offering attractive salaries. And it is in this respect that the teaching service fails miserably. The salary reform planned by the minister for education, which admittedly is based on a stable income, will be only a first step - and who knows when the minister of finance will actually give the go-ahead for the reform. The minister [of education] must use all her powers of persuasion and act swiftly within her own sphere of influence. This would allow well-paid teachers to deliver a better performance in class (without any conflict)."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Austria
An extra hour of teaching is a good compromise
Austrian Education Minister Claudia Schmied wants teachers in Austria to work longer hours. Originally in favour of a two-hour increase, she is now arguing for one extra hour of work. The daily Die Presse writes: "In public discussion teachers are often pitted against the 'concrete faction' of unionists who are most resistant to reform. In this case, however, the teachers and the unions see eye to eye. What we need once again to defuse the situation, therefore, is a feedback system reaching from the unions right up to the highest echelons of power. If the teachers' representatives manage to win a bonus - for example a tangible reduction in daily bureaucratic work - that would lead automatically to a solution: the teachers would take a more target-oriented approach to their extra hour's work, while the minister would be able to cut her budget."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Austria
Austria abolishes tuition fees
Austria plans to abolish university tuition fees. The daily Die Presse criticises the decision. "There are many arguments for saying that those who receive the benefits of an academic degree and thus improve their earning potential should pay something towards this. Even if the sum in question isn't high - as is the case with the 363 euros per semester that have been stipulated until next year. But in one respect the universities and the financers in Austria have failed: there has been no major improvement in the overall conditions for studying. Mass lectures and mass exams are still a feature of student life. ... We should say 'yes' to tuition fees, but also 'yes' to modern, cutting-edge universities and adequate financing for teaching and research. To just say 'no,' as the SPÖ is doing, or just say 'yes' like the ÖVP will not suffice to meet the needs of our universities."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Austria
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