The incorruptible currency of testimony tolerates no excuses, no relativisation. It is an unvarnished balance sheet of actions taken and not taken – today distributed to over half a million pupils across the country. No softening, no "…but", no rhetorical polishing. Instead, bare figures and an – (un)intended – invitation to self-reflection.
What our pupils are grappling with today – and likely over the next few days – has a sobering but salutary core: the admission of inadequacy – and the will to improve.
A practice that would also do well outside of classrooms. Anyone who makes the mistake of thinking that certificates are purely a pedagogical tool is mistaken: figures such as sales figures, EBIT, complaints or praise are certificates of our economic activities.
Quality doesn't arise from complacency, but from the willingness to question oneself. From the recognition of inadequacy. And from the serious attempt to do (even) better next time. This attitude doesn't end at our factory gate. It affects the entire region, our industry, and ultimately Europe too. Because our continent is also regularly graded – through competitiveness, innovation, and cohesion. And here too, the same applies: anyone who is satisfied with a „good enough“ risks falling behind.
We are therefore taking the liberty today to distribute certificates (see below) – for example, in administrative science, accounting or pension mathematics. Spoiler alert: we will see each other again in many subjects for a resit exam at the latest in the autumn.
We don't spare ourselves either: Rate us, give us your testimonial. Without detours. Without reservations.
The HELDECO notes in detail
Economics Not enough
After two years of simply accepting the „not enough“ in our report cards, the 2025 report card entry also reads as little encouraging. Yes, in the first quarter there were initial signs of stabilisation – but hand on heart: this was mainly because the state generously distributed the packed lunches. Public consumption as a tutor is not self-achievement.
Industrial sentiment is cautiously improving, but the next test will be tougher: uncertainties such as US trade policy and geopolitical conflicts make any learning plan shaky. At the same time, our price competitiveness is weakening – with direct consequences for exports and investment. Anyone who believes they can escape being held back by this is very much mistaken.
Accounting: Sufficient
After years in which domestic politics treated accounting and controlling more like a voluntary exercise, the subject is slowly but surely becoming an elective subject – not entirely voluntarily, but due to gentle pressure from the directors in Brussels.
A budget deficit of 4.7 percent of GDP in 2024 is certainly not a particularly successful piece of homework, but will now result in extra work for the whole country. Those who cheerfully hand out pocket money without properly accounting for income should not be surprised if their gold star is missing from their report card. At the same time, high interest rates and expensive loans are weighing on room for manoeuvre like a heavy school bag. Instead of excuses, a clear method is finally needed: clear priorities, less waste, and a plan for how we can hold our own in international competition without needing extra tutoring. Homework for everyone: honest accounting.
Management Theory
Very good
In administration, we are real model pupils – Austria can safely place itself at the forefront here. The bureaucratic burden that businesses have to bear is becoming exemplarily heavier year after year. According to a Market Institute survey, 59 per cent of all companies and a full 72 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises report that the time spent on administrative duties has increased significantly in the last three years. That's what you call dedicated in-depth study!
On average, local businesses are already spending 9.4 hours per week filling out forms and chasing up authorisations – excellent training in perseverance and discipline.
Public administration is really taking off in Austria: only a meagre 88 percent therefore also wish for „less bureaucracy“ on the curriculum. Who needs competitiveness when they can show off a neatly stamped file?
Pensions Mathematik: Nicht genügend
Austria continues to lag behind in this area. While two-thirds of industrialised countries have long since introduced automatic pension adjustment mechanisms, we prefer creative solutions: 29 amendments since 2005 – the main thing is that no one really calculates it.
The results of the demographic review are predictably poor: by 2070, the proportion of people over 65 will rise to almost 30 percent.
Fewer and fewer employed people are supposed to finance ever more pensions – a calculation that would be corrected with „topic missed“ on any school worksheet. The system already costs over 26 billion euros annually. But transparency or sustainable planning? Evidently not on the curriculum.
Work and Social Studies Not enough
The entry for collective agreement wages has been struck through – and corrected upwards – no fewer than three times since 2021 in the bulletin. Someone should have double-checked! A mathematical miscalculation with catastrophic consequences is proving expensive: wages in the metalworking industry are now more than 20 percent higher than they were three years ago.
This is not a reward for diligence, but confirmation of a lack of foresight. The consequence is clear: many businesses are now struggling for economic survival. We are already far from a slight slip, but the impending crash onto the ground of economic reality is on the horizon.
Particularly bitter: Those who still call themselves social partners have long since forfeited that title. There is nothing social about it anymore – and being a partner doesn't mean always just pushing through one's own demands.
For the re-examination of the re-examination of the re-examination in autumn, there is only one thing left to do: Sit down. Do your homework. And perhaps learn a bit of history too – so that we don't repeat the same mistakes every year.
