Basic Information

Compulsory Schooling

School attendance is compulsory for all children permanently resident in Austria irrespective of their nationality, and lasts for nine years.

Pupils are free to choose whether to attend a state or a private school, attendance of a state school, however, is free of charge.

Compulsory schooling starts on the first of September following the child's sixth birthday. Children who celebrate their sixth birthday between September 1 (start of the academic year) and December 31, may start primary school prematurely, provided they are mentally and physically mature enough to follow lessons.

Compulsory schooling either starts with a pre-school year or a four-year attendance of an elementary school (years 1 to 4 of a primary or a special needs school).

Years 5 to 8 may be completed at a senior primary school, a lower secondary school, the lower level of a secondary academic school or a senior special needs school.

The 9th year may in turn be completed by attending a pre-vocational year, a secondary academic school or a technical and vocational school or college. Pupils may choose among a variety of secondary academic, technical and vocational schools and colleges.

Special Education and Integration

Legal regulations provide for the possibility of integrated teaching of disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils in primary schools and (since the academic year of 1997/98) in lower secondary schools and in the lower level of secondary academic schools. The decision whether a disadvantaged child will be educated in a special needs school or in a conventional school rests with the parents of the child or other persons vested with the right of education.

Pupils with Mother Tongues other than German

Special emphasis is put on the language teaching of these pupils. Teaching takes place in regular classes just as on an extracurricular basis. Children are given the opportunity to attend remedial classes to improve their command of German; special tutors attend to pupils with little knowledge of German.

Full-time Care, Boarding Schools

Full-time primary, lower secondary and secondary academic schools provide students with assistance in certain subjects (2 to 4 hours a week) and in general study work (2 to 6 hours a week). Moreover, they provide for leisure education until 4 p.m. or 6 p.m. at the latest.

Students may make use of this offer on just one or up to five days a week (Monday through Friday). For use of these facilities fees are charged for care (the amount of this fee depends on the number of days, but also on the social situation of the child's family) and for catering.

As for boarding schools, there are different organizational forms which are run either as part of schools or as independent institutions by public (federal or municipal authorities) or private (mostly religious) bodies.

Geändert am 23.02.2007