Research Council FORWIT wants to make studies more binding and introduce a part-time option

In return, special cases should be designed more flexibly in a targeted manner in the future, so that the standard case can be formulated more strictly. As Henzinger explained: Wenn man das macht und Sonderfälle flexibel gestaltet, kann man auch den Regelfall stringenter gestalten. Concretely, studies should be able to be completed either full-time or part-time, with part-time students being given roughly twice the amount of time. Universities could align their courses accordingly – that is, for example, what they offer during the day and what they offer in the evening.

More equal opportunity as the guiding principle

Henzinger told APA that the guiding principle of the council's deliberations was that more people in Austria should have tertiary education in the future. He formulated: Wir brauchen endlich Chancengerechtigkeit in unserem Hochschulsystem. Henzinger pointed to an empirical weakness: Austria performs worse than comparable Western European countries when it comes to access for people from non-academic families.

Those who would benefit most are students from non-academic families, Henzinger said: Weil die überlegen sich zweimal, ob sie ein Studium anfangen, wenn nicht klar ist, wie lange das dauert. His core argument is: Wenn man in Österreich ein Studium an einer Uni beginnt, weiß man nicht, wann man fertig wird. A clearly defined duration of study is intended to lower this barrier.

Henzinger cited several reasons for expanding tertiary education. Labor market reasons also speak in favor of it. The most important quality will be the ability to learn throughout life. He put it pointedly: Ich kann Ihnen nicht sagen, wie die Zukunft des Arbeitsmarkts in 10 Jahren aussieht, das kann niemand. Aber eines kann ich mit Sicherheit sagen: Tertiär Ausgebildete sind am besten darauf vorbereitet. He added: und niemand lernt später besser als die, die schon in jungen Jahren viel gelernt haben, egal, ob Technik oder Geschichte.

Rethinking admission and study grants

Henzinger provided another argument with a view to societal discourse: Außerdem gebe es kein besseres Mittel gegen Populismus und Wissenschaftsfeindlichkeit als tertiäre Bildung. In doing so, he explicitly links the education reform to the goal of countering hostility toward science.

The reform proposal also provides for an adjustment of admission pathways. The current study entitlement examination for persons without a Matura is described by FORWIT as a „selten begangener, langwieriger Pfad mit ungewissem Ausgang, ergo kein Vorbild an Niederschwelligkeit". In the future, alternative paths such as standardized or university-autonomous admission tests could be examined alongside the Matura.

The model is closely tied to study financing. Gekoppelt werden müsse dies auch mit einer ausreichenden, leistungsorientierten Studienbeihilfe: Those who study full-time within the standard period of study should also receive significantly higher support than at present. Henzinger proposed study loans as an additional instrument. These could, for example, be forgiven if the degree is completed promptly and the graduate subsequently works in Austria. He was more skeptical about part-time students: Warum es dann aber Beihilfen für Teilzeitstudierende geben soll, erschließt sich mir nicht.

Joint introductory year and orientation at schools

A pilot project modeled on the Netherlands is also planned: In einem Pilotprojekt könnte außerdem wie in den Niederlanden ein gemeinsames Eingangsjahr in Studienfeldern wie Technik oder Wirtschaft für Uni- und Fachhochschulstudierende erprobt werden. This would allow well-founded orientation between types of higher education institutions only after the first higher education experiences and could reduce poor decisions in the choice of studies.

In addition, the council prepared further proposals. These concern, for example, the introduction of binding educational and career orientation formats and online self-assessments already at schools. Henzinger acknowledged that a more binding system would cost money, but pushed back the criticism: Das würde zwar etwas kosten, konzedierte Henzinger. Aber das jetzige System kostet ja auch viel und bringt zu wenig.

Minister takes up the proposal

Politically, Science Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner has already taken up the council's proposal. Eva-Maria Holzleitner belongs to the SPÖ. At least the proposal for part-time studies has thus reached the ministerial level; concrete design and budgetary questions have not yet been decided.