---
title: Appeal of Vienna
description: on Reform of Final Examinations in Secondary Education Representatives of parents’ organisations, teachers and students as well as of ministries and universities from German speaking European countries joined a conference in Vienna to develop concepts appropriate for the European Educational…
url: "https://europarents.eu/docs/appeal-of-vienna/"
updated: "2025-09-14"
category: internal policy documents
---

# Appeal of Vienna

on Reform of Final Examinations in Secondary Education

Representatives of parents’ organisations, teachers and students as well
 as of ministries and universities from German speaking European
 countries joined a conference in Vienna to develop concepts appropriate
 for the European Educational Area.

We agree, that
 • Final examinations in secondary education (German: Matura, Abitur,
 Maturitätsprüfung) have to certify the absolvent’s universal
 competences for entering the European Educational Area and
 • Our children have to be able to prove themselves in higher education
 and employment without restriction all over Europe.
 We are aware that these goals cannot be reached under the actual
 circumstances.
 National regulations for the final examinations have to be further
 developed and improved aiming on common target criteria so that the
 examination certificate is finally accepted by every European university as
 a reliable admission qualification.
 For the purpose of a good educational partnership parents, students and
 teachers must be involved obligatorily on all levels of decision processes
 and quality management in European education.
 The future of our children determines Europe’s future!

Vienna, October 18th, 2008

European Parents’ Association
 Österreichische Elternvereinigungen
 Bundeselternrat
 Landeselternvereinigung der Gymnasien in Bayern
 Katholische Elternschaft Deutschlands
 Fédération des associations de parent d’élèves du Luxembourg