School starts soon

Polaschek: “All lessons can be held”

(Bild: krone.tv)

Education Minister Martin Polaschek analyzes the approaching start of school in an interview on krone.tv: In Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland, classes will start next Monday, in the remaining federal states a week later. Watch the video above to find out what the current situation is regarding the much-cited teacher shortage!

Polaschek: "Before the summer, we advertised 8,000 positions for teachers. More than 14,000 applicants applied, far more people than were needed. There are currently only 100 vacancies. And all hours can be kept." With around 120,000 employees, the company is Austria's largest employer. Polaschek: "It was a digitalized application process. Now the school principals choose their teachers themselves". In general, however, there are also construction sites in the domestic education system in addition to the teacher positions that are apparently now almost completely filled again.

Education Minister Martin Polaschek(Bild: krone.tv)

Hand ban decides school autonomously
The main problems for teachers would be the excessive bureaucracy, pupils' lack of German language skills and - particularly in urban areas - school violence. Polaschek: "There are now many more preventative measures for safety and non-violence. Each school also decides autonomously whether to ban cell phones. They also decide whether to hand in or confiscate cell phones used by pupils in class."

Soccer, swimming and running in demand
Regardless of all these school-related issues, the Minister was satisfied with the voluntary participation of young people in the class challenge: "Over 140,000 pupils took part in the events. One thousand five hundred swimming challenges alone were held. But soccer and running were also particularly well received by the pupils in the sports challenges they proposed themselves."