A stir in the Innviertel

Austria flag banned from school classroom

The Austrian flag with the national emblem may only be used in schools after legal clarification.(Bild: mirsad - stock.adobe.com)

Crosses in the classroom are an issue, now flags are too. Specifically in the Innviertel region (Upper Austria), where a higher technical college is in turmoil because pupils had to dismantle their decorative project. The Austrian flag and its national symbol were banned without further ado.

There was great excitement at the HTL Braunau after the Austrian flag had to be taken down again in a 1st grade class. The students had decided to decorate the classroom with a flag and the Austrian coat of arms as part of a decoration project. However, the flag had to be taken down again after teachers sent the pupils to the head teacher to ask whether this was permitted at all.

Legal review necessary
According to a student statement in "Heute", a teacher had brought the young people into the vicinity of the right-wing scene, which the boys vehemently deny. According to the Education Directorate, the use of national emblems such as the federal coat of arms must always be legally clarified beforehand. At the end of the day, however, the school is allowed to decide whether the flag may be flown in the classroom or not.