Down 9 percent

Number of first-graders in Burgenland drops

The first day of school is not only a special moment for children, but also for parents (Bild: contrastwerkstatt - stock.adobe.com)

The number of children starting school in Burgenland is falling by almost 9 percent. The decline in the coming school year 2025/26 will be particularly significant in the district of Neusiedl am See.

For around 2686 pupils, the proverbial "seriousness of life" will begin in the fall. This means that the number of Taferlklassler pupils in Burgenland will fall by almost nine percent compared to the previous year. However, the Education Directorate speaks of provisional figures, and there may still be one or two enrolments in one of the 176 elementary school (including 6 private schools) before the start of school.

District of Neusiedl am See with sharpest decline
The decline is particularly noticeable in the north of the province, specifically in the district of Neusiedl am See, where there will be almost 70 fewer school starters than in the previous year. This will also have an impact on the number of classes, according to the Education Directorate.

The reasons for the falling pupil numbers are given as the low birth rates.

The number of Taferlklass pupils is also declining in the districts of Oberwart (around 50), Eisenstadt and Mattersburg (around 40) and Oberpullendorf (around 20). By contrast, the drop is much smaller in the districts of Güssing and Jennersdorf (around 10), where large declines were recorded in previous years.

More clusters instead of school closures
This also has some consequences for school locations: the Education Directorate did not yet want to say whether closures are on the cards. "This is also a political decision," says Director of Education Alfred Lehner. In the course of regional education planning, however, there will definitely be new school clusters, according to Lehner.

This will primarily affect the smallest schools, where fewer than 10 children are taught. "We are in the process of finding solutions here, which will of course benefit the children," says Lehner.

While enrolments for elementary school are almost complete, registrations for middle schools and secondary schools are still ongoing.