Major Parent Survey – This is why schools and preschools fail

The biggest problems are the learning content and the lack of teaching staff. Eight out of ten respondents are dissatisfied with the lack of teachers. This is accompanied by a lack of time for teaching activities, because teachers often have to deal with bureaucratic matters.

Neos education spokeswoman Martina Künsberg Sarre criticizes that too little money is being invested. The schools are a pure ‘service desert’. Only a small 0.7 percent of the gross domestic product is spent on education. This is one of the reasons why there is a lack of expensive ‘support staff’.

Too much theory – too little practice
A major, not new, problem is the purely theoretical teaching of the educational content. Although some parents see a slight improvement in the education system in terms of teaching methods, the majority experience a standstill. There is also talk of the school system becoming ‘outdated’. Many are concerned that their children are not being sufficiently prepared for ‘real life’. Almost 43 percent of respondents find the education system too expensive and too bloated. Many people do not have the financial means for excursions and school trips. Financing materials for kindergarten and school can also become a problem.

Bullying and exclusion
More than half of the respondents are concerned about exclusion and bullying in their children’s daily lives. One in five children is said to have experienced bullying in their daily school life. According to parents, classes and groups that are too large also make it difficult for the already too few teachers. This makes unrest within classes and groups almost inevitable.

Teacher misconduct
Half of the parents in the nursery class mention misconduct of teachers and supervisors as a concern. This includes insufficient support of their own child. In this way, talents remain undiscovered; both too little and too little challenge are part of the daily life of many children. Another sticking point is the amount of time required, which according to parents must be provided regularly. This includes an excessive learning load, which is necessary.

However, many feel that teacher competence is inadequate and that topics such as integration are often overlooked or not discussed enough.

Neos presents 10-year plan
The Neos have developed proposed solutions in a “10-year plan”. Part of the plan is to hire 20,000 new teachers and nursery school teachers. In addition, scientifically oriented group sizes must be applied and assistants must be deployed if the groups are too large. In addition, more money must flow into salaries and nursery school teachers must receive the same wages as primary school teachers, demands Künsberg Sarre.

City of Vienna as a role model
The Vienna City Councillor for Education Christoph Wiederkehr has planned his own points for Vienna, which have already been implemented or are planned for autumn 2024. This includes the planned doubling from 20 to 40 working hours for assistants in Viennese kindergartens. The cleaning staff must also support the assistants in their work. The annual investment of one billion euros in the elementary sector has already been realised. Vienna has the longest opening hours and the fewest closing days in childcare facilities in Austria. From autumn 2024, an anchoring of 55 assistant hours in small groups will also be implemented.

4+ for education policy
Part of the large survey was also the opinion of parents about the education system and the education policy. The education system is hardly a three pointer, while parents give a good four pointer for the education policy of the federal government. There is room for improvement.