Physical activity lessons

Standstill looms in kindergartens and elementary school

Since September 1, a federal ministry in Austria has not been paying out the funds without which an exercise project for the youngest "athletes" introduced in kindergartens and elementary school in 2009 is doomed to die in a flash. This is why Austria's ASKÖ President Hermann Krist is now sounding the alarm!

"We are fighting every day, we are on the phone non-stop, because it is really dramatic. Because we no longer know how to pay our people",

An original quote from a professional soccer club on the brink of bankruptcy?

No!

The dramatic-sounding words come from the mouth of ASKÖ President Hermann Krist and his "we" also refers to the Sportunion and ASVÖ and therefore also to the two other umbrella organizations. Since 2009, they have been working on behalf of the Ministry of Sport to get children moving every day in kindergartens and elementary school. However, according to Krist, it is precisely these exercise units that are now at risk of coming to a definitive standstill.

Ministry of Education stopped payments!

Background: Due to generally known problems such as a shortage of teachers or a lack of gyms, the Ministry of Education spoke out against the release of the funds with which the umbrella organizations throughout Austria pay the more than one thousand part-time employees they employ for the exercise unit.

I made an advance payment of 600,000 euros last month because otherwise we would no longer have been able to pay our people.

ASKÖ-Präsident Hermann Krist

"Although we have been pointing out the problem since June, no more money has been coming in since September 1," explains Krist. The ASKÖ president continued: "I made an advance payment of 600,000 euros last month because otherwise we would no longer have been able to pay our staff. But I can't afford to do that again."

Insolvent at the end of October?

Christmas bonus due" Postscript: But now the Christmas bonus is also due at the end of October. "We would actually have to withdraw our employees - but then the project, which has been running excellently since 2009, would be dead once and for all." To be fair, the Upper Austrian emphasizes: "The whole thing has nothing to do with the National Council elections or with Sports Minister Werner Kogler!"