Austrian schools gain autonomy to address learning gaps
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Across Austria, including eleven schools in Vorarlberg, 400 schools are now using a federal “opportunity bonus” to address student needs.
School directors, like Brigitte Krasnig at the Bregenz-Rieden primary school, can decide how to fill new positions created by the bonus, choosing from teachers, social workers, or psychologists. This flexibility allows schools to tailor support to their specific circumstances, with applications and interviews ensuring a good fit between staff and the school’s needs.
Schools are also gaining control over how they provide German language support. Bregenz-Rieden is integrating language support within regular classrooms instead of sending students to separate classes, believing that children learn from interacting with native speakers. Krasnig noted that schools have only recently been given this level of autonomy, suggesting good ideas sometimes take time to implement. However, Krasnig emphasized that school programs cannot fully compensate for a lack of support at home.
She believes parents play a crucial role in their children’s education, particularly in developing reading skills, as difficulties with reading comprehension also affect performance in mathematics. Recent PISA results show Austrian students have reached their lowest scores in reading and math in 26 years. The NEOS party in Vorarlberg praised the bonus as a step toward equal opportunity, while the ÖVP criticized the limited number of participating schools in the region.
