Because of family reunification

Ministry of Education plans German support classes

Family reunifications mean that more and more children are coming to Austria who do not yet meet the requirements for attending school. The Ministry of Education now wants to set up special German support classes and has been working on changes to the curriculum since April.

Together with the Vienna Education Directorate and experts, "considerations are being made as to how the special educational challenges can be met", said Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP). For the children and young people concerned, the first priority is to ensure that they learn precursor skills so that they can be integrated into mainstream lessons.

Currently, children who do not speak German well enough are placed in special German support classes for up to 20 hours per week for a maximum of two years. They spend time in subjects such as handicrafts, music or gymnastics with their regular class.

Many illiterates from Syria
In Vienna, where there are the most family reunifications of migrants, so-called "orientation classes" were already introduced in March. In these classes, children who are not yet ready for school are prepared for regular lessons for up to two months. Between January 2023 and February 2024, more than 4,000 children and young people were admitted to Vienna's compulsory schools as a result of family reunification. After that, around 300 were added each month, but the numbers have recently fallen again.

More staff
The largest group are children from Syria with an Arabic mother tongue, many of whom have never attended school and have spent some of their lives in refugee camps. Many are illiterate, according to the city council office.

Polaschek announced that there would be more staff for these lessons. 391 additional posts are planned for the 2024/25 school year, including staff for displaced children and young people from Ukraine.