Administration explodes

Concern about relief package for head teachers

Will there still be enough time for the children? A relief package for schools is not even planned.(Bild: Honorar)

(Bild: Wenzel Markus)

Directors of compulsory schools were promised educational and administrative help from the fall due to the overflowing administration. Now the package is shaky: first canceled, it is now to come back after all. The trade union criticizes the chaos. 

The mountain of administrative tasks is growing and growing at Salzburg's schools. More and more principals are groaning under the explosion of tasks in addition to their core teaching duties. Principals now have to keep an eye on several online tools on a daily basis. Programs such as ISO.web are the interface for communication with the school authorities. Not to mention parent portals and other applications.

In addition, timetabling and supplier plans are a challenge for principals. "Support would be absolutely essential, especially at larger schools," says Thomas Schiendorfer, full-blooded principal at the secondary school in Salzburg's Nonntal.

The administrative workload has multiplied. Digitalization doesn't make the work any easier. The help for head teachers is an important relief in everyday life.

Christine Haslauer, Vorsitzende des Zentralausschusses der Lehrervertretung in Salzburg vom Lehrerverein SALVE

But that's not all: since the beginning of the year, there has also been a system changeover for teachers. Access to work emails and travel expense reports is now only possible for those who already use ID-Austria. Teachers will be forced to use private cell phones. Trade unionists are sounding the alarm: "It is becoming even less attractive to run a school." Only recently, a retired teacher sought help from the Ombudsman because he could only access his pension payments with ID-Austria and was proved right.

Promised school package not coming after all
There are secretaries at compulsory schools. However, teaching staff are needed for educational support. This is exactly what was already on the list of savings plans announced in Brussels. Following protests, the cuts will not be made after all. From the winter semester 2025/26, it is planned that compulsory school principals - depending on the size of the school - will be able to hand over tasks to other teachers on an hourly basis. Primary school principals, who usually teach themselves, are also waiting for the package.

The savings from the measure should bring around 50 million euros. Now the money is to come from other ministries.