Statement on the Federal Ministry of Education’s proposal for a ‘School of Education’
The Rectorate, the Senate and the SOMA – School of Music and Arts Education at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg welcome, in principle, efforts to further develop teacher training in Austria. However, from the perspective of an arts university, the present draft proposal for the establishment of a ‘School of Education’ raises questions regarding content, structure and education policy, particularly with regard to the professionalisation of teachers in the arts subjects
Contact
Mag. Helmut Schaumberger PhD, Vizerektor für Studium und Lehre
+43 676 88122 658 helmut.schaumberger@moz.ac.at
Univ.-Prof.in Mag.a Isabel Gabbe, Stv. Vorsitzende Senat
+43 676 88122 384 isabel.gabbe@moz.ac.at
Univ.-Prof.in Mag.a Dr.in Anna Maria Kalcher, Leiterin SOMA – School of Music and Arts Education der Universität Mozarteum Salzburg
+43 676 88122 362 anna_maria.kalcher@moz.ac.at
This is based largely on the close integration of artistic practice, subject-specific teaching methodology and pedagogical reflection. This integration has long been established at art universities and encompasses intensive practical components, early teaching placements in schools, and continuous artistic development within professional working environments.
A shift or greater concentration of training at teacher training colleges is viewed critically, as these institutions often lack the necessary infrastructure, facilities and staff expertise to provide equivalent artistic and pedagogical professionalisation.
The Mozarteum University in Salzburg emphasises that artistic and pedagogical competences cannot be developed in isolation from one another. Universities of the arts offer a unique framework for this, in which teaching competences arise directly from artistic practice and are reflected upon.
Furthermore, new parallel institutional structures at all universities would jeopardise existing synergies, create duplication and impose additional administrative and financial burdens without delivering any discernible improvement in quality.
We therefore strongly advocate strengthening and further developing existing structures at universities rather than establishing parallel systems.