Elisabeth Gehrer Federal Minister for Education, Science and Culture Elisabeth Gehrer was born 11 May 1942 in Vienna, with her marriage moved to Bregenz (capital of Vorarlberg) and has three sons. 1961-1966 she worked as a primary school teacher, then as City councillor, 1983 she became Chairperson of the local womans Movement of Bregenz. As from 1984 she was a Member of the Province Diet of Vorarlberg (Austrian People's Party, conservative) and elected it’s Vice President in 1989. From 1990 to 1994 she was a Member of the Province Government of Vorarlberg, responsible for education, science, women, youth, community-development and development aid and President of the Province School Board. From May 1995 she is Minister for Education and Cultural Affairs, since autumn 1995 Vice Chairperson of the Federal Austrian Association of Workers and Employees (conservative).As from February 2000 her fields of competence as Minister are education, science and culture.

Raising the Quality of Learning for All

The growing significance of high-quality education in our knowledge-based society is an undisputed fact. More than ever, the conditions governing education and training are characterised by fast-paced change and increasing complexity.

In line with international developments, Austria, too, is experiencing a shift of priorities from central input control to process and, in particular, output control. As a logical consequence, the self-concept at the steering levels is undergoing fundamental change as well. Ready-made concepts that prescribe every detail give way to a new governance philosophy that focuses on framework requirements, agreements on objectives, participation and transparency.

The Austrian “White Book Quality Development and Quality Assurance” captures this trend (http://www.bmbwk.gv.at/ ). In a process of several years, issues and findings on quality development and quality assurance were raised and debated in numerous think tank sessions as well as in a process of public opinion formation, providing condensed information on the current state of reflection in the field of quality development. In this context I have established a “Commission on the Future” to devise strategies and proposals to reform and develop the Austrian education system.

Let me therefore congratulate UNESCO for having chosen the crucial topic of “Quality education for all young people” for the 47th session of the International Conference on Education. I am convinced that the question of how to achieve sustainability and quality for our education systems whilst ensuring continuity and advancing modernisation will stimulate a highly constructive debate.

Improving teacher effectiveness, quality assurance and support for teachers are some of the key issues we actually discuss in Austria, since the personal and social skills of teachers are an important prerequisite for the meaningful use of new forms of teaching and learning in the knowledge society.

Therefore we are actually initiating an in-depth reform of our teacher training and in-service training system by upgrading the teacher training colleges to institutions of higher learning and through the improvement of university based teacher education by strengthening training phases.

The Q.I.S - project (quality at school; www.qis.at) motivates teachers to assess, monitor and develop the quality of their own classroom activities.

Evaluating and improving outcomes of education is another key element of our national education policy. Education standards designed to provide orientation are currently being established with a view to defining the basic skills to be acquired by Austrian students until the end of years 4 (German, Maths) and 8 (German, English, Maths). They are oriented on the tasks prescribed by the respective curricula and on a model of required skills and competences for the respective subject matter.

I am well aware of the fact that Austrian schools can only perform their complex and important role adequately if they join efforts with parents and other social agents, including the media, further fostering the social dialogue. UNESCO’s work in the context of quality education for all is particularly relevant, and we are ready to share the vision of this conference: to educate our young people for action in favour of sustainable development, social cohesion and the construction of peace.