ÖVP against KPÖ

The turmoil over the education budget enters the next round

The waters are once again rising in Graz City Hall.(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian)

ÖVP education councillor Kurt Hohensinner sharply criticizes finance officer Manfred Eber (KPÖ) because of impending savings in his department. However, Eber has little or no sympathy for the uproar.

The city's education budget already caused a stir this spring. City Councillor Kurt Hohensinner, who is responsible for the department, sounded the alarm bells when the first estimates were published - he held out the prospect of extensive cost-cutting measures for schools. In the end, the budget was increased to 62.9 million euros. For the coming year, City Councillor for Finance Manfred Eber has now announced further savings across all departments. 

"This is difficult to understand"
According to Hohensinner, two million euros must also be saved in the education sector. "While the federal and state governments are transferring an additional 18.7 million euros for childcare via the Future Fund, childcare and education in Graz are being cut", Hohensinner shakes his head. "The additional money is to be used to plug other budget holes. This is difficult to understand and makes me very sad." 

"Can't build any more nurseries"
Especially as major challenges await in childcare. By reducing group sizes in nurseries from 25 to 20, the city would lose 280 places every year. "Before the summer, I presented a major expansion plan for crèches and kindergartens. On average, we would need around eight to nine million euros per year for this." However, this is now not possible with the new budget.

Eber cannot understand this, as he believes that the budget for education has remained the same. "It was around 61 million this year and will be the same next year. Education is the only department that has been left out," emphasizes the KPÖ city councillor. Eber understands that Hohensinner would have liked to receive the additional 18.7 million euros from the federal and state governments, "but that is simply not possible in our current situation."