Austria

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Country in a nutshell

Map of Austria

Austria (German: Österreich), officially the Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The capital is the city of Vienna on the Danube River.

The origins of modern Austria date back to the ninth century, when the territory of Upper and Lower Austria became increasingly populated. The name "Ostarrichi" is first documented in an official document from 996. Since then this word has developed into the Österreich.

Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy comprising nine federal states and is one of six European countries that have declared permanent neutrality and one of the few countries that includes the concept of everlasting neutrality in its constitution. Austria has been a member of the United Nations since 1955 and joined the European Union in 1995.

Education in Country

Austrian educational system

The Republic of Austria has a free and public school system, and compulsory schooling last 9 years. Schools offer a series of vocational-technical and university preparatory tracks involving one to four additional years of education beyond the minimum mandatory level.

The legal basis for primary and secondary education in Austria is the School Act of 1962. The federal Ministry of Education is responsible for funding and supervising primary, secondary, and, since 2000, also tertiary education. Primary and secondary education is administered on the state level by the authorities of the respective states.

Kindergarten: Education starts long before school attendance becomes compulsory. The lowest level of education (ISCED 0) includes various child-care facilities such as crèches, kindergardens or nurseries. Attendance at these facilities is voluntary.

Primatry level (years 1 to 4) In Austria, as in most other countries, compulsory schooling begins at the age of six and primary level lasts four years. Most children attend primary school (Volskschule), cherged with imparting basic education for all. A small proportion of school-age children attend special schools (Sonderschule), which can be attended for the all period of compulsory education (age 6 to 15). School-age children who are not ready for school are taught in the pre-school level of primary schools.

Lower secondary education (years 5 to 8) At the transition from the four-year primary level to the lower secondary level (ISCED 2), the general education system is divided into four types of schools:

• lower secondary schools (Hauptschule). The lower secondary school [Hauptschule] is designed to provide all pupils with a basic general education within a four-year period. Its purpose is to prepare pupils for working life and to equip them with the necessary knowledge for transfer to upper-secondary schools
• academic secondary schools, lower cycle (allegemeinbildende höhere Schule)
• Special schools (Sonderschule')
• new secondary school, pilot schools, recently introduced as a pilot scheems to create a new joint school for the 10-14 years age brackets which caters all pupils finishing year 4 of primary school

Upper secondary education (years 9 to 13) The lower secondary level ends with the eighth school year and is followed by the upper secondary level (ISCED 3), which offers different options:

• academic secondary schools, upper cycle, years 9-12
• Polytecnique Schule (pre-vocational school), used as ninths school year by those students aged 14-15 who aim to enter working life as soon as they have completed compulsory schooling
• Berufhschule part time compulsory vocational schools, years 10 to 13 maximum, parallel to in-company vocational training (dual system). A requirement for starting apprenticeship is completion of nine years of compulsory schooling; apprenticeship are at least 15 years old
• intermediate technical and vocational schools (years 9 to 12 maximum)
• Higher level technical and vocational schools 8years 9 to 13)

Post-secondary non tertiary education (ISCED 4) includes:

• the final year of the Higher Techical and vocational colleges
• training schools for kindergarten teachers
• Training schools for educators
• Kollegs: Access to post-secondary courses [Kollegs] is conditional upon a "Reifeprüfung"-Certificate, a "Reifeprüfung"-Certificate and TVE-Diploma or the respective Higher Education Entrance Exam. Post-secondary courses run for four semesters (or six semesters for people under employment), provide students with the practical and theoretical education of a secondary technical and vocational college and end with a diploma exam. Such courses are offered in engineering, business and the social and services sector. It is also possible to attend training courses in the fields of nursery school teaching and social education. Post-secondary courses are designed to provide mainly graduates of secondary academic schools who do not want to take up studies at university or at a "Fachhochschul"-course with the opportunity to acquire initial vocational qualifications within a relatively short time.

Tertiary education. At tertiary level (ISCED 5) university, Fachhochschule or post-secondary college are available. The secondary school leaving certificate (MATURA) or other certificated gained through special examinations (i.e. the Berufsreifeprüfung) allow students to gain access to tertiary education. The tertiary level has been significantly expanded in recent years, partly as a result of the introduction of Fachhochschulen and also due to the Bologna Process. This entails degree programmes being divided into bachelor programmes, which generally last for 6-8 semesters, and master programmes, which follow on from bachelor programmes and last for 2-4 semesters. In all probability, conventional diploma programmes will be gradually replaced by bachelor and master programmes in future.

The highest formal academic qualification, the doctorate, can be attained at ISCED level 6.

Mainly sourced from Statistics Austria and Federal Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture

Further and Higher education

Higher education is offered at:

• Public universities
• Fachhochschulen, faculty of applied sciences (after accreditation of Fachhochschule study programmes)
• The Krems University of Continuing Education (Danube University Krems)
• Private universities (after accreditation)
• University Colleges of Teacher Education
• Medizinisch-technische Akademien und Hebammenakademien (colleges for higher-level paramedical professions and midwifery colleges)

Moreover, there are a number of educational institutions which offer university-type study programmes.

Admission to Fachhochschulen and universities as well as to the colleges for higher-level paramedical professions and midwifery colleges requires a Reifeprüfungszeugnis or a Reife- und Diplomprüfungszeugnis from a secondary higher school, or alternatively a Berufsreifeprüfungszeugnis or a Studienberechtigungsprüfungszeugnis, the latter being valid for a given study programme. Depending on the programme chosen, supplementary examinations may be required. Admission tests are required for students wishing to enrol in studies of human and dental medicine, veterinary medicine and psychology where study places are limited. Admission to the arts universities is conditional on the passing of an admission test. Applicants to Fachhochschule study programmes, which generally require admission tests, must either have a Reifeprüfungszeugnis or equivalent certificate or relevant vocational qualifications. Additional examinations may be required. Austrians and students from EU countries currently do not pay tuition fees.

Education reform

Schools

Austria is committed to implement an effective lifelong learning strategy by 2020, consistent with the european priorities. The action lines of a proposal for such a strategy cover all phases of life, from pre-school education to initial training at schools and universities and learning at a later stage in life. In view of fast growing life expectancy the important role of learning provess outside of traditional institutions is particularly emphasised; better recognition of non-formal and informally acquired learning is a priority.

Within this "lifelong learning" and "knowledge society" oriented framework, Austria has been paying growing attention to

• the importance of pre-primary education, by reinforcing kindergarten and making half-day attendance in the last year before primary education compulsory and free of charge
• the development of more competence-oriented education paths, including competence-driven curriculum and its assessment (through educational standards) and increased individualisation of learning paths in schools. In this context the 25+ initiative was launched for an individualisation of teaching by lowering class sizes, and the Ministry has been giving fresh inpetus to the joint furhter development of teaching practic at Austria's schools. Awareness is raised in this context on the potential of new media (i.e. Learning Platforms)

An important initiative in this context is the New Secondary School Pilot Scheme, which aimed to create a new joint school for the age 10-14, avoiding early choice of learning paths and widely oriented towards a learning culture based on individualisation and personalisation of learning processes. According to this approach, each child is supported to the best possible extent according to its individual talents and abilities, and pupils learn at their own pace, receiving early additional encouragement to unfold their specific talents. The "new secondary school reform" should in particular orient education towards key transversal competences, such as autonomy, responsibility, creativity, flexibility, communication, problem solving etc.

A great interest had been shown by both teachers and parents in this initiative. From school year 2008/2009 (lauch of the initiative) the number of New Secondary schools has quadrupled (244 in school year 2009/2010) and reached the statutory limits of 10% of compulsory school which may participate in the pilot scheme.

Administration and finance

Schools

Administration and responsibilities

The Federal Ministry for Education, the Arts and Culture (http://www.bmukk.gv.at/) is the supreme supervisory body for the whole of primary and secondary education, which includes academic secondary schools and technical and vocational schools, as well as colleges of teacher education. The work experience part of initial vocational education is the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth (http://www.bmwfj.gv.at/). As is the case with government administration in general, responsibilities for legislation and implementation in school education are split between federal and provincial governments. This split is based on the principles outlined below:

• The federal government has exclusive responsibility for legislation and implementation: this applies particularly to the entire field of academic secondary education (secondary levels I and II), but also to medium level and higher level technical and vocational schools (secondary level II), training schools for educators and training schools for kindergarten teachers, and to the conditions of service and staff representation of teachers at these schools.

The federal government is responsible for legislation, whereas the provinces are responsible for implementation: this applies, among others, to the conditions of service and staff representation of teachers at public compulsory schools.

• The federal government is responsible for fundamental legislation, while the provinces are responsible for issuing and implementing by-laws: this particularly applies to the organisational structure of federal education authorities or the external organisation of public compulsory schools. The term ‘external organisation’ refers to the development, construction, maintenance and closing of schools, but also to the fixing of pupil numbers per class and teaching periods. All fundamental legislation is in the nature of a framework which has to be filled in by implementing by-laws promulgated by the respective provincial parliaments, the legislative bodies at provincial level.
• The provinces are responsible for legislation and implementation as, for example, with regard to kindergartens.

Separate federal bodies have been established wherever the federal government is responsible for implementation. These are:

• Bezirksschulräte (district school boards) at the level of political districts;
• Landesschulräte (provincial school boards) at the level of the provinces; and
• the Federal Minister for all of Austria.

Customarily the federal government introduces draft laws as government bills in the Nationalrat (National Council). Such a draft produced by the Federal Ministry for Education, the Arts and Culture will first have been submitted to a number of relevant authorities (collegiate councils in the district and provincial school boards, provincial governments, various interest groups, churches, etc.) for an expert opinion. Fundamental laws enacted by the federal government will normally prescribe a deadline by which the provinces must issue the necessary implementing laws (six months to one year). These implementing laws are passed by the provincial governments. More detailed provisions are contained in the individual provincial constitutions. Austria’s education system is characterised by a well developed system of school inspection. Federal school authorities in the provinces are responsible for primary and secondary education (district school boards, provincial school boards). At the level of the provinces, school inspection is carried out by provincial school inspectors who are responsible for specific school types. At compulsory school level, provincial school inspectors are assisted by district school inspectors, and in medium and higher-level secondary education by subject inspectors. In addition to the inspection of individual schools, the school inspectorate also performs comprehensive functions across schools. At district level, this especially refers to regional educational planning. Regional educational planning aims to ensure

• a diversity and balance of educational options,
• comparability of educational options,
• school and instruction planning oriented towards quality,
• personnel and organisational development,
• providing the schools with personnel and material resources,
• infrastructure for school development counselling and in-service training for teachers.

In the academic year 1993/94 Schulautonomie (school autonomy) entered the mainstream education system. Flexibility of Austrian schools has gradually increased since and was put on a new legal basis. (The following applies only to a limited extent to years 1 to 4 of primary schools, with only two weekly lessons and optional exercises under school autonomy.) Individual schools are now allowed to decide certain school matters independently. A school may develop a certain profile, e.g. by specialising in foreign languages, ecology, intercultural focal points, information technology or generally by extending or supplementing curricular content.

Finance

Schools of compulsory education (primary schools, general secondary schools, special schools, pre-vocational schools and vocational schools) are maintained by the provinces, municipalities or municipal associations. While most of the schools in general compulsory education are maintained by municipalities or municipal associations, part-time compulsory vocational schools are maintained by the provinces. Maintaining and operating a school includes the establishment, maintenance and repair of the school buildings, payment of overheads, purchase of equipment and teaching aids, provisions for the school doctor, and the employment of the necessary auxiliary staff (caretakers, maintenance staff, etc.). The employment of teachers at compulsory schools is exclusively the responsibility of the provinces. Teachers in public sector schools of compulsory education are employed by the provinces, which pay the cost of their salaries. However, the provinces are fully compensated for this cost by the Federation in the process of fiscal adjustment. (The sole exception being teachers at compulsory vocational schools, where this refund is granted only up to 50 %.) Public sector schools of compulsory education are not allowed to charge tuition fees. Transport to and from school using public transport facilities is free. Textbooks are provided to pupils free of charge, and they are entitled to keep them. In recent years, a contribution of 10 % from the pupils has been introduced both for transport to and from school and for textbooks. Medium level and higher secondary schools are established and maintained by the Federation, which bears the full cost, including teachers' salaries. Teachers do not enter into an employment contract with the school in this case either, but with the Federation. The same is true for medium level and higher secondary schools with respect to the absence of tuition fees, free transport and textbooks as for compulsory education. In 1996 the legal basis for extending the financial autonomy of schools was established. On certain conditions laid down by law, schools can rent out school rooms or parts of school property (e.g. gymnasium or sports grounds) to third parties and allocate the respective income at their own discretion as long as it is used for school purposes. The same applies to external funding received from sponsoring or commercial activities at school. Since 1998 federal schools have been entitled to establish quasi legal bodies which are authorised to perform certain activities in their own name (e.g. organisation and staging of certain events for third parties).

Austrian schools may, in a limited way, also choose how to use the funds allocated to them by the school authorities. For medium and higher level technical and vocational schools this can facilitate the procurement of computers and technical equipment (financial autonomy). This makes it easier to implement occupation-oriented forms of education centred on students (e.g. training firms).

Quality assurance

Schools

The Federal Institute for Research on Education, Innovation and Development of the Austrian School System (Bundesinstitut für Bildungsforschung, Innovation und Entwicklung des österreichischen Schulwesens, BIFIE) is responsible for the following areas:

• Applied research on education,
• Education monitoring,
• Quality development,
• Regular reports on Austrian education.

In addition, the BIFIE is responsible for advising, on the basis of evidence collected, the decision-makers of Austrian education policy (http://www.bifie.at). The BIFIE is headquartered in Salzburg where it focuses on education monitoring and education standards. The Salzburg centre mainly conducts international assessments such as PISA, PIRLS, TIMSS, etc. and reviews education standards. Furthermore the BIFIE’s central service areas, i.e. the central management and the centre for data management and statistics, are located in Salzburg. The Graz location mainly deals with educational research and evaluation, carrying out specific projects such as the evaluation of the ‘new secondary school’ and research-based projects on topics such as ‘early language support’. The BIFIE Vienna location (‘innovation & quality development’) concentrates particularly on the development and implementation of innovations in the school area. Model projects are the development and implementation of a standardised Reifeprüfung (matriculation examination) and further development and implementation of education standards. Tasks are coordinated between the Ministry for Education and BIFIE based on a revolving three-year plan. A two-member board of management, a nine-member supervisory board and the scientific board consisting of renowned Austrian and international scientists and scholars are the bodies of the BIFIE, which is a legal entity under public law.

Introducing national education standards into the general education system Introducing national education standards into the general education system ultimately aims to improve the pupils’/students’ core competences in selected subjects and to secure returns to education in the long run. This is to be achieved especially through: changing didactics and focussing on results in the planning and performance of school instruction (standards serve as orientation); improving teachers’ capabilities in diagnostics and remedial instruction (remedial function), as well as feedback concerning the proficiency level and targeted site-related quality development (evaluation function). An amendment of the School Instruction Act of August 2008 provided the legal basis for the introduction of education standards: http://www.bmukk.gv.at/schulen/recht/erk/novelle_schug.xml. The pertinent statutory regulation sets out the subject-specific proficiency pupils/students are expected to acquire upon completion of the 4th and the 8th grades. The standards were introduced in primary and general secondary (level I) schools on 1/1/2009: http://www.bmukk.gv.at/schulen/recht/erk/vo_bildungsstandards.xml. Baseline surveys were conducted in spring 2009 (8th grade) and/or 2010 (4th grade). The first reassessments at grade 8 are scheduled to start as of 2012, at grade 4 as of 2013. The periodic reappraisal of the standards both guarantees and optimises the quality of classroom work, and provides feedback for teachers on the learning outcomes of pupils/students. Introduction of a standardised, competence-oriented Reifeprüfung (matriculation examination) The new matriculation examination, which will be launched for academic secondary schools in the academic year 2013/14 and for the vocational and technical schools in the following year, consists of three pillars: standardised written examinations, compulsory pre-scientific paper and oral examinations. Standardised written examinations: all students in Austria take these standardised competence-oriented written examinations at the same time. Examinations in German, mathematics (taking account of curricular differences), English and foreign languages (Italian, French, Spanish, Latin and Greek) are centrally defined. Teachers’ corrections and assessments are carried out locally at the school location in compliance with a set formula. The results are therefore comparable throughout Austria. Pre-scientific Paper: in the second half of year seven, students, in agreement with their teachers, will select a topic for a paper they will prepare as part of the matriculation examination. Students then prepare this paper in a subject of their choice during year eight to demonstrate their capability to carry out independent academic work and to go on to university. The paper is presented by the student during the matriculation examination, similar to examinations at university. Oral examinations: in addition to the written examinations, a student will have to take oral examinations in 2 or 3 subjects. Tasks and assessments of the oral examinations are not centrally defined, but lay within the scope of responsibility of the teacher in charge of the examination. Teachers at the location are required to identify up to a maximum of 24 subject areas per subject, which are presented to the students. Students are assigned one subject area, for which questions are formulated by the examiner. To evaluate the new matriculation examination, a federal matriculation commission with advisory functions will be established. It is composed of school partners, representatives of the provincial school boards, ‘Universities Austria’, the Ministry of Science and experts. It is chaired by the Federal Minister for Education.

Quality assurance at schools The Quality in Schools (Q.I.S.) initiative was launched by the Federal Ministry for Education to promote school development and quality assurance within the respective schools. Individual schools are stimulated and encouraged to monitor, check and further develop their quality standards themselves. The concept centres around preparing and implementing a school programme, which contains a model policy and development plans (actual situation, targets, actions, evaluation) for the school’s specific projects. The background consists of four quality areas:

• teaching and learning,
• classroom and school as living environment,
• school management,
• school partnership and external relations,
• professionalism and human resources development.

The initiative addresses all school types and highlights the importance of cooperation between teachers, pupils/students and parents. Internet: http://www.qis.at The Quality Initiative for Vocational Education and Training (Qualitätsinitiative Berufsbildung, QIBB) is a further development, extending the concept to cover all levels of the education system (www.qibb.at). In 2009 the first National Education report prepared by the Austrian Federal Institute for Education Research, Innovation and Development of the Austrian School System was published (http://www.bifie.at/nationaler-bildungsbericht).

References

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