Austria is making a major change to how it helps children who need support learning German. Starting this autumn, the number of dedicated German support teachers in schools will more than double - from 577 to 1,324.
Up to now, not every child who needed help with the language received it. That’s because there was a cap on how many positions were funded, regardless of how many pupils needed support.
From the coming school year, that cap will be gone. Instead, schools will receive support based on actual demand.
A step toward fairness for every pupil
Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS) said the new approach is one he has been calling for since his time as Vienna’s Education City Councillor.
“I always felt it was unfair that there was this cap, namely that not every child is worth the same, not every child can be supported in the same way and that the schools are just being handed the problem,” Wiederkehr said at a press conference, as reported by Der Standard. “This will finally be remedied with this package.”
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The reform means schools will no longer have to make do with limited resources when it comes to supporting language learners. Instead, funding and staffing will now be tied to real-world needs and updated every school year.
More help where it’s needed most
All nine federal states are set to benefit, but some will see particularly large increases in staff. In Upper Austria, the number of German support positions will rise from 78 to 237. In Vienna, the total will more than double - from 231 to 521. According to Wiederkehr, this means schools will be able to double their current staffing or form smaller support groups to better meet students’ needs.
The new model will also integrate existing, temporary programmes - such as the support for Ukrainian pupils - into a permanent structure. That’s meant to give schools better planning security and avoid gaps in provision year to year.
Why now? The need is growing fast
The number of pupils who require extra help learning German has been rising steadily - particularly in urban areas.
Since 2021, the number of “exceptional pupils” - children whose German skills aren’t yet strong enough for regular classroom instruction - has increased by 54 percent to 48,400. Among first-year primary school pupils, 23 percent currently require German support.
“That is clearly too many, which is why it is necessary to start a race to catch up now,” Wiederkehr said.
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Teacher shortage could be a hurdle
While the increase in funding and positions is welcome, actually finding the teachers to fill those roles won’t be easy.
“It won’t be easy, we are still in times of teacher shortages,” Wiederkehr admitted.
To help address this, the ministry plans to expand training for teachers specialising in German as a second or foreign language. The Mika-D test, which is used to determine whether a child should join a German support class, will also be improved to make it more accurate.
In total, Austria will invest €108 million into German language support for the 2024–25 school year. That’s €62 million more than the previous year, despite the overall tight federal budget.
Wiederkehr said the investment size shows how seriously the government takes education and integration. “After all, integration cannot work without a good knowledge of German, and language is also the key to a self-determined and successful life,” he said.
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