Around 58,500 pupils are attending Austria’s Sommerschule this year, a new record, according to ORF. Almost 16,000 of them are in Vienna.
The programme began on August 24th in eastern Austria, with the rest of the country following a week later.
One reason for the rise is a change introduced this year: summer school is now compulsory for a specific group of pupils receiving intensive German-language support.
So which children actually have to attend?
Who has to go to summer school?
The compulsory rule doesn't apply to every pupil who speaks German as a second language, has weaker German skills or receives some form of language support.
Under Austria’s School Education Act, the obligation applies in summer 2026 to pupils who were attending a Deutschförderklasse, or intensive German support class, on the first day of the second semester. It also covers pupils who were admitted later in the semester as extraordinary pupils and assigned to a Deutschförderklasse due to insufficient German proficiency. Kids at vocational schools, or Berufsschulen, are excluded.
In Vienna, the relevant cut-off date for pupils already attending a Deutschförderklasse was February 9th, according to the city’s education authority.
The compulsory rule in 2026 specifically covers pupils assigned to Deutschförderklassen. It doesn't automatically cover children receiving German support through a Deutschförderkurs. From 2027, however, the compulsory summer-school rule will also extend to pupils attending these courses.
Families affected by the compulsory rule also don't need to register their child themselves. The pupil’s regular school, or Stammschule, registers them automatically and parents receive information from the school.
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Can other pupils attend voluntarily?
Yes. Other students can participate voluntarily, particularly if they need to revise material, prepare for the next school year or get extra support.
For voluntary participants, however, parents have to submit the registration form provided by their child’s school.
Once a child has been registered, attendance is binding for the whole programme. The ministry’s parent FAQ says summer school counts as remedial instruction and the usual school rules therefore apply.
If a child is ill, parents should report the absence to the summer school in the same way they would during the regular school year.
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When and where does summer school take place?
In Burgenland, Lower Austria and Vienna, summer school runs from August 24th to September 4th.
In Carinthia, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol and Vorarlberg, it runs from August 31st to September 11th.
Classes are held from Monday to Friday, generally from 8 am to 12 pm.
Children are assigned to selected summer school locations, which might not be their usual school.
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What happens during the programme?
Summer school is free and combines revision with individual support, with a strong emphasis on German.
The ministry says teaching should be project-based and language-sensitive. Pupils can revise material from previous school years, work on reading, writing, listening and speaking skills and prepare for the next school year.
Teachers and teacher-training students run the classes, with older pupils sometimes taking part as volunteer Buddys.
Afternoon childcare is not part of the nationwide programme, and arrangements differ locally. In Vienna, for example, some locations offer access to nearby Summer City Camps, though this additional care incurs a fee.
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Key vocabulary
Sommerschule – summer school
außerordentlicher Schüler / außerordentliche Schülerin – pupil with extraordinary status
Deutschförderklasse – intensive German support class
Deutschförderkurs – German support course
Stammschule – a pupil’s regular school
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