New Learning Materials

“Upper Austria House Rules” Are Now Being Implemented in Schools

In the learning materials on Upper Austria’s school rules—with the help of AI—the Department of Education illustrates what it means to get along in the schoolyard.(Bild: Zentrum für Demokratiebildung (KI-generiert))

13 rules of conduct for harmonious coexistence: The “Upper Austrian Code of Conduct” has been in effect in this region since February. It is designed to instill values such as equality, respect, and local customs in immigrants. With the start of the new school year, this set of rules is also making its way into classrooms in the form of supplementary learning materials. 

Last school year, 587 students in Upper Austria were temporarily suspended from classes—for reasons including violence, threats, or vandalism. This is one of the final stages of escalation in school conflicts.

Age-Appropriate Implementation
The implementation of the “Upper Austrian School Rules” into regular classroom instruction is now intended to help ensure that things never get that far. The “Basic Guide to Living Together,” which has been in effect since February and is aimed primarily at migrants, is to be introduced to students through supplementary learning materials—in the form of hidden-object pictures, games, dedicated lesson packages, and in-depth guiding questions, depending on the grade level.

The supplementary learning materials translate the values of the “Upper Austrian House Rules” into the students’ everyday lives and make them tangible experiences in the classroom.

Julian Schreibmüller, Schulqualitätsmanager, Bereich Demokratiebildung

The materials were developed by the Center for Democracy Education at the Upper Austrian Department of Education and take a “real-life and engaging approach,” as noted during Wednesday’s presentation. “School is the place where young people from diverse backgrounds come together. That’s why we need to teach them early on what underpins our coexistence,” says Provincial Councilor for Integration Christian Dörfel (ÖVP).

For Director of Education Alfred Klampfer, the materials help “address topics such as respect, responsibility, rights, and rules in an age-appropriate manner and work through them with students using concrete situations.”