Hurdles at the start of school

German is already a foreign language in many schools

Big rush in Alxingergasse in Vienna-Favoriten, the first day of school is something very special here too.(Bild: Josef Poyer, Krone KREATIV)

Enormous hurdles in the new school year: Education Minister Martin Polaschek went on an excursion to the extreme at the start of school - language promotion is the order of the day, which is particularly evident in Vienna-Favoriten.

More than 98,000 Tafer class pupils start the "serious side of life" in September. First in the eastern region and then in all western provinces. In total, there are almost 1.2 million pupils.

Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) used the kick-off to visit the "educational war zone", more precisely the hotspot elementary school Alxingergasse in Vienna-Favoriten. Not an easy journey for a local politician, but urgently needed.

A big rush in Alxingergasse in Vienna-Favoriten, the first day of school is something very special here too.(Bild: Josef Poyer, Krone KREATIV)

Teachers struggle through the daily grind
In teacher Clarissa Loicht's 1B class, for example, there is not a single child whose mother tongue is German. What is lacking in financial and personnel support from the federal and state governments is made up for here with a lot of hard work, common sense and warmth of heart.

Polaschek, meanwhile, distributes Pixi books about archaeologists and Nobel Prize winners. However, only a handful of children from this class will make it to grammar school, if at all.

However, it is more important to him that the framework conditions are right. "Look instead of looking away" is his motto, and of course a side blow to the Vienna city government's failed integration policy is a must: "Schools should be a safe place for all children and young people. The fight against violence - especially in Vienna - and new mandatory child protection concepts contribute to this."

"Krone" columnist and teacher Susanne Wiesinger informs an Arabic-speaking father, a foreign mother translates.(Bild: Josef Poyer, Krone KREATIV)

Clarissa Loicht tries to make up for the lack of German skills with a lot of warmth.(Bild: Josef Poyer, Krone KREATIV)

Education Minister Martin Polaschek distributes Pixi books to the Taferl class pupils.(Bild: Josef Poyer, Krone KREATIV)

Another key point is the promotion of German: "The federal capital already receives 40 percent of the funding here, at 18.7 million euros."

German is not the mother tongue for 27 percent 
If you look at the situation in Alxingergasse, you can see why. Foreign-language parents bring their children to class (even if they don't speak German) - 27 percent nationwide and more than one in two in Vienna.

In most cases, fellow teachers with a migrant background, other parents or even the cell phone have to translate, for example, which class the child belongs in or whether they are registered at all.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to manage. We urgently need street workers and social workers here.

Direktorin Susanna Heinrich im „Krone“-Gespräch

Bild: Martin A. Jöchl

Alongside Loicht and her teacher colleague and "Krone" columnist Susanne Wiesinger, principal Susanna Heinrich is particularly in demand. In conversation, she moans: "We can still manage, but I don't know for how long. There's a shortage everywhere."

According to her colleagues, the lack of support staff in particular is a constant problem. The school doctor only comes once a month and psychotherapeutic specialists are usually in short supply.

Her conclusion: "Many children come from very educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, so no Pixi book will help. We simply need more money for our education system!