The number of exceptional students in Vienna’s primary schools recently increased by a quarter; In total, around 13,500 children were unable to attend sufficient lessons due to German problems in the 2022/2023 school year. A third of Vienna’s first-class students now have exceptional status. Two-thirds of these children were born in Austria, according to the answer to an ÖVP question from education councilor Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS).
The majority of this country’s exceptional first-graders also attended kindergarten, two-thirds for more than a year. The fact that they do not speak German well enough by the time they go to school to get regular grades in all subjects is a “huge failure in terms of education and integration” for Vienna ÖVP education spokesman Harald Zierfuß.
Graphic: So many blackboard students cannot follow the lessons
ÖVP calls for an increase in the number of German teachers in kindergartens
The Vienna ÖVP has been calling for a huge increase in the number of German teachers in kindergartens and compulsory kindergartens for all those who do not speak enough German for three years, said Vienna ÖVP boss Karl Mahrer. He warned of negative consequences for children’s educational opportunities. This can subsequently lead to youth unemployment, lack of prospects, crime and radicalization.
The Greens are also calling for more language support
The Vienna Greens also called for more language and German support. Kindergartens must be equipped with sufficient resources so that effective language training can take place in each location, said Julia Malle and Felix Stadler, those responsible for education at the Vienna Green Party.
Family reunifications: NEOS warns of system overload
Councilor for Education Wiederkehr recently explained the increasing number of exceptional students with an increase in family reunifications and warned of an overload of the Viennese education system. Vienna already offers basic care to more asylum seekers than provided for in the quota distribution between the federal states. Moreover, most refugees come to Vienna after their asylum procedure has been successfully completed.
Orientation courses for preschool education
In addition to fines if the federal state quota is not met, Wiederkehr also called for non-working people whose asylum procedure has been completed to continue living in the federal state where the procedure was carried out for another three years. To prevent schools and special students from becoming overloaded, children who are not yet ready for school because they have lived in Turkish refugee camps for years and have no school experience will initially have to attend preschool orientation courses in Vienna from this semester. Moreover, Vienna has already increased the number of language support staff in kindergartens, which should also bring about a change in the case of exceptional students.
What are exceptional students?
A child is classified as an exceptional student if he/she has the intellectual maturity for the relevant school level, but cannot yet attend classes due to a lack of German language skills. For subjects for which a positive assessment is not yet possible due to German problems, exceptional students cannot receive grades for a maximum of two years. Since the 2018/19 school year, the School Organization Act provides for a maximum of 20 hours of German lessons in separate German support lessons for non-standard students. If the students speak German better, there will be six hours in the German remedial course. The condition for this is a minimum number of students, but according to a study, a third of the school management does not adhere to the requirements and, as before, relies on teaching German in regular lessons.
Union wants certainties
Meanwhile, Vienna’s top representative for compulsory education teachers, Thomas Krebs (FCG), has called for more action in the event of violence in schools. The current measures are like trying to stop a tsunami wave with a sandbag barrier. In particular, he called for security and the ability to check at the entrance students who repeatedly endanger others. In addition, following a suspension, i.e. if students are temporarily excluded from classes due to repeated violence, they must be accommodated in special facilities before returning to the regular classroom.
The FPÖ’s Viennese education spokesperson, Maximilian Krauss, emphasized in a broadcast that the Freedom Party has been calling for security personnel at hotspot schools for some time. Education Councilor Wiederkehr must also set up ‘boot camps’ for ‘unruly students’.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
