Once again the NEOS bring the issue of kindergartens and daycare centers to the Styrian state parliament – and the responsible State Education Councilor Werner Amon (ÖVP) is almost disturbing. This refers to many advances, such as the test operation of a Styrian “child portal”.
What’s behind it? In the future – the aim is for the 2025/26 childcare year – parents can use the portal to find an overview of the childcare options in their area and register their girls and boys. Places that are available at short notice must also be visible. Testing operations have been underway since this week and more than 700 of the more than 1,100 facilities in Styria are already on board, Amon points out.
No majority for state kindergartens
He was – again – faced with an urgent request from NEOS about primary education. Pink club president Niko Swatek criticized the “snail’s pace of expansion” of places in Styria and said children’s education was given little priority. Worryingly, only a quarter of municipalities in Styria still allow both parents to work full-time.
Swatek suggested promoting state kindergartens such as in Vienna or Lower Austria. “Where local provision fails, the state must intervene.” However, his proposal – unsurprisingly – did not receive a majority.
“Only bad news”
Before this, Swatek had had heated discussions with representatives of the ÖVP. Amon accused the NEOS man of “just spreading bad news” and thus damaging the profession. Many measures have moved towards a trend reversal over the past two years. Amon later even said that Swatek sometimes worked with incorrect figures.
ÖVP regional manager Detlev Eisel-Eiselsberg also made a similar attack: “You interpret every statistic as you want,” he said towards Swatek.
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.
