In Austria, less than a third of schoolchildren currently attend full-day education, according to education minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) in response to a parliamentary question from NEOS. In concrete terms, 29.8 percent of the children in primary, middle and special education and on the AHS lower secondary school attended day school or school afternoon care in the school year that came to an end. There are major differences depending on the state and the type of school.
The bandwidth varies from almost half of six to 14 year olds in Vienna to almost 16 percent in Tyrol. In Styria, Salzburg, Lower Austria and Carinthia, about a quarter of the age group follow a full-day offer. In addition to Vienna, Vorarlberg and Burgenland (42.1 and 35.5 percent respectively) are above the Austrian average and Upper Austria a fifth below it. According to school types, the highest percentage is in the lower classes of the AHS (41.2). At primary and special schools this is almost a third, at secondary schools it is less than a fifth.
NEOS wants further expansion
The NEOS emphasize that the figures can nevertheless show an overly positive picture. In Vorarlberg, for example, the value is distorted because pure afternoon supervision is also taken into account. “The expansion of all-day schools is moving at a snail’s pace and is another example of the fact that nothing is wrong in Austrian education policy,” criticized education spokeswoman Martina Künsberg Sarre.
Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) should resolutely take over the coordination and lead the way in the jungle of powers between the federal, state and local governments, instead he dares not even look beyond his own responsibility. For example, his ministry has no information about holiday care and the conversion of a school to day care also means that the out-of-school care will close and a gap will arise in the holiday care. “‘Not my coffee’ can’t be the answer,” says Künsberg Sarre.
Just like the SPÖ, social partners and NGOs, the NEOS have been campaigning for a faster expansion of the daily offer for some time. This is intended to improve the educational opportunities of students who cannot get the support they need to study at home. Above all, the whole day school is advertised, in which lessons, learning and free time alternate during the day. At the same time, more daily offers should make it easier to combine work and family. In the past five years, the number of day schools in Austria has increased by 551 locations to 2937. Most of the changes from half to full day schools took place in primary schools.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
