Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) kicked off the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday with a speech at the “Transformation Education Summit” at UN headquarters on the Hudson River. Education is, among other things, the “basis for peace and prosperity”, emphasized the chancellor, but also, for example, for “climate protection or technological change”.
Austria has benefited immensely from public access to high-level education, explains Nehammer. He also recalled that his country “recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of free textbooks”. The free school book campaign was introduced in the early 1970s by the then Federal Government of the SPÖ under Chancellor Bruno Kreisky.
Weaknesses “in our education systems” would sometimes have devastating consequences “for the future of our societies”, the ÖVP politician warned. It is therefore important to “reaffirm our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and the path towards their implementation by 2030,” Nehammer said. “We need to rethink education and lifelong learning as anchors for economic and political development at all levels.”
Praise for double model
In his speech, Nehammer also mentioned the model of vocational training and further education applied in Austria in the form of a dual model, ie in the form of lessons in vocational schools, which go hand in hand with practical experience in companies. “The OECD has confirmed the strength of this system and I am personally convinced of its effectiveness,” Nehammer emphasized.
Digital boost due to pandemic
The chancellor also pointed out that while the corona pandemic “accelerated learning loss”, it had also led to a digital boost. “Austria has adopted a comprehensive eight-point digital learning plan, including a digital school portal to improve communication, teacher training and the expansion of IT infrastructure in schools,” the chancellor said at the meeting. He offered further cooperation with the United Nations “with a view to the Future Summit 2023” to “work towards the transformation of education”. After all, this is “the foundation for a peaceful global future, for our children and our societies”.
Three days for bilateral and multilateral meetings
On Monday, Nehammer traveled from Vienna to New York together with Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (both ÖVP). Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen was also expected there in the evening. The head of state had previously attended Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in London.
The trio will attend the opening of the general debate at the 77th UN General Assembly on Tuesday. A joint meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres is scheduled for Wednesday. In the coming days, there will be different bilateral and multilateral meetings for all three. Nehammer was a guest of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (99) on Monday evening (local time). Schallenberg took part in the meeting of EU foreign ministers.
Source: Krone
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