The number of children requiring private education is increasing – as is the cost. Due to the current situation, many families can no longer afford this. The gap widens.
Just a few hours separate almost 250,000 Viennese school children from their well-deserved summer vacation. However, many will not be able to enjoy it to the fullest. Either because there is a final exam in August, or because the holiday will be punctuated with tutoring. Because more and more parents have to dig deep into their pockets to get better grades for their children.
The Viennese spend 30 million extra
This is also confirmed by a recent study by the Chamber of Labour. In Vienna, 34 percent of all students take private lessons. The problem: There are free support offers, but that’s not enough for 20 percent of all Viennese school children, and they have to pay extra for learning support.
Even primary school students under pressure
Fatal: The main reason is the pressure of the numbers and no lasting understanding of the material. The expensive tutoring lessons are mainly booked in the short term and prior to exams or tests. This is already so great that even 16 percent of Viennese primary students receive external tutoring.
High costs weigh on family budget
Households also dig deep into their pockets for this. The costs for this school year are approximately 630 euros per school child. Compared to 2020, the average costs have risen sharply again – at the time it was 490 euros. In Vienna, the average is even 680 euros. About half (48 percent) of parents who use paid tutoring for their child said they had a very heavy or noticeable financial burden as a result. This is especially precarious for the lower income groups. This means that especially those families will be affected that have already had to accept major cuts in the household budget as a result of the Corona crisis and persistent inflation.
“We promote the poverty of the future”
This caused criticism from the AK. “We see that parents are saving when it comes to their children. Even families with low household incomes are trying to pay their children’s school fees,” says Chamber of Commerce expert Elke Larcher. “To ensure that inflation does not come at the expense of school success, learning opportunities and staff relationships in schools must be significantly expanded. save today and hesitate in education, we will promote poverty in the future.”
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.
