Critical awareness instead of military drill

2023-08-06 07:00:31

AKS: A clear no to the establishment of “comprehensive national defence” in Austria’s schools.

Vienna (OTS) – Militia soldiers, army athletes and military musicians should be specifically recruited for apprenticeships. “Comprehensive national defence”, i.e. military; mental; civil; as well as national economic defence, is to be increasingly integrated into the curriculum. Armed Forces officers should be represented on the textbook commission.

All of this is contained in a cooperation package between the education and defense ministries, which Education Minister Polaschek (ÖVP) and Defense Minister Tanner (ÖVP) want to implement together in response to the crisis triggered by the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.

“The black-green federal government is taking a clear step towards a militarized education system. We, as an action group of critical students, speak out clearly against the implementation of this project. It is absurd that militia soldiers are now being recruited as teachers. Instead, what is finally needed is an upgrading of the teaching profession, including above all better pay, and the expansion of school support staff, such as school psychologists and school social workers.”, clarifies Lina Feurstein, AKS Federal President.

In the future, tasks of the federal army should not only be dealt with in subjects such as political education, but should generally be accommodated more in the curriculum, for example also in mathematical word problems. While the action of critical students has been calling for the introduction of the subject of political education as a separate subject for years, one thing is clear:

“We need the subject of political education that offers students the opportunity to deal with current events in politics and society and also with social grievances. Political education must not aim at military drill, but must aim at promoting a critical awareness.”scomplete Flintstone.