Austria’s parliamentary parties have different ideas about how to tackle the main issues in schools and even about what the main problems are.
The newspaper Der Standard recently asked the parties’ education spokespersons to highlight their views on the main issues and what can be done about them.
The questions involved the parties' views on major challenges, such as whether a unified school system for ten- to fourteen-year-olds is needed, how to reduce teacher workloads, improve language instruction, and address violence in schools.
Here is what the different parties think about it.
The Social Democrats: Learning together from age four
The People's Party: Increased school independence
Rudolf Taschner, spokesperson for the Peoples Party, ÖVP, says that "strengthening school autonomy and reducing bureaucratic efforts" are the main challenges in the education system.
He supports maintaining students' separation after primary school, arguing that it allows for more specialised training and better transitions to secondary education.
Taschner also suggests that middle schools should have the freedom to focus on specific subjects, such as computer science or social studies, and recommends providing good counselling and introduction days for fourth graders to make the transition easier.
Taschner recommends a "kind of preschool" for children who are not yet ready for school, to help them learn German.
To address school violence, he proposes strengthening teachers' ability to manage misconduct with quick and appropriate measures, including time-out classes.
He also suggests sanctions for parents who do not follow to school guidelines, potentially including deductions from social benefits. For serious student violations, he supports involving social workers and, if necessary, also the police.
The Freedom Party: Talent assessments
Hermann Brückl, the far-right Freedom Party's (FPÖ) spokesperson, says there is an urgent need for changes in Austria's education system due to rising numbers of children struggling with the German language and basic skills and teachers wanting to leave their jobs.
Brückl proposes that students with limited language skills should receive specialised language instruction until they reach the required level; if progress is not made within two years, they should be placed in specialised educational institutions with adapted curricula.
He suggests integrating students who are temporarily in Austria, such as those from Ukraine, into the local curriculum, with German taught as a second language.
The party also criticises the concept of a unified school model, arguing it would negatively impact the education system due to diverse student needs. They propose implementing "talent checks" in grades 3/4 and 7/8 to guide students' educational paths, and strengthening secondary schools with specialised focus areas and performance groups.
To address school violence, the FPÖ has developed a nine-point violence prevention plan, which includes conflict prevention, building resilience, and managing escalation. Consequences for misconduct could range from discussions to potential school expulsion.
READ MORE: How Austria plans to boost English bilingual teaching in schools
NEOS: Unified school from age 6 to 14
Martina Künsberg Sarre, spokesperson for NEOS suggests a major issue in Austria’s education system: a long-standing delay in necessary reforms that has stalled progress since 1962.
She criticises the system for being outdated despite Austria’s wealth and accuses politicians of keeping the system mediocre.
NEOS recommends a unified school system for children aged 6 to 14, arguing that early separation after the fourth grade deepens inequalities.
They propose a system that supports individual talents and performance without segregation. The goal is to make sure that all children develop basic skills before leaving school.
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