The Austrian schooling system

Public elementary school in Austria have a certain amount of flexibility in setting their own timetables for lessons, meals, learning and free time. As a rule, lessons start at 8.00 am and end before lunch. Afterwards, pupils can attend after-school care, either on site or, if not available, at another school. 

Although public elementary school have some autonomy in determining class sizes, these are generally no larger than 25 pupils. Classes where students with special needs are taught are smaller and have teaching assistants. 

Registration usually takes place in the fall and early winter of the year prior to admission. A database of all schools (school guide) is available online. It is also published in printed form and is available at all schools and service centers.  

Once you have decided on a school, you must take your child there to register with the school management, who will determine your child's readiness for school in consultation with you and the teachers.  

Your child must be socially, emotionally, cognitively and physically capable of attending elementary school without being overwhelmed. Attention is also paid to the ability to communicate sufficiently in German. If the child is unable to do this, the school management may recommend special measures. Additional medical and psychological certificates may be requested at the time of registration. When registering your child at a private school, it is advisable to meet with the school management well in advance of the registration date.  

Make sure that the private school you have chosen is accredited as a private school (i.e. that it is covered by public law), or you will need to apply for an exemption from compulsory schooling. 

Austria has many educational opportunities for pupils and students whose native language is not German - from international schools to bilingual programs to fast immersive German lessons.  

In the 2021/22 school year, more than 301,455 pupils whose mother tongue was not German attended schools in Vienna. In the 2021/22 school year, an estimated 14,968 pupils needed additional German lessons. In 2019, Austria introduced a national language measurement system for competence analysis in German called MIKA-D. There is a language test in the last year of preschool for German native speakers and non-native speakers.  

Since 2020, the Austrian government has invested 4 million Euros annually in the provision of additional German support classes for pupils and students (who have completed school in Austria) whose language skills are insufficient. The curriculum of the remedial classes comprises 15 out of 24 hours per week for primary school pupils and 20 out of 32 hours for secondary school pupils. For all pupils whose German is not fluent (referred to as "non-regular pupils"), special support is already offered in preschool. 

If primary school pupils have little or no knowledge of German, they are placed in an age-appropriate class but will not be graded. The results of the MIKA-D help the school authorities to decide whether pupils should be admitted to a regular class while they spend a certain number of hours per week in a free German course. This German course lasts a maximum of four semesters. 

An AHS offers a comprehensive and in-depth education for pupils with an academic background. The goal is the Matura, which is a prerequisite for university studies. Generally referred to as a "Gymnasium", the AHS consists of a four-year lower school (5th to 8th school year) and a four-year upper school (9th to 12th/13th school year). The upper school is comparable to college-prep high schools in the USA or grammar schools and sixth form colleges in the United Kingdom. In the first two years of AHS (5th and 6th school year), all public grammar schools offer almost identical core curricula. In year 7, an AHS focus is divided into one of the following areas: 

• Gymnasium: Focuses on languages (usually English, Latin and French), humanities and liberal arts.  
• Realgymnasium: Focuses on mathematics, natural sciences, geometry, technology and textiles.  
• Realgymnasium for economics: Focuses on economics, commerce, technology and textile crafts.  
• Musical grammar school: Focuses on the advancement of the fine arts, including music, art, crafts, dance, drama, literature and rhetoric.  
• Sports grammar school: A grammar school with a special educational focus on sports. 

With the successful completion of the 9th school year, students have fulfilled their compulsory schooling. Most AHS students continue on to the upper secondary level on their way to the Matura. An important part of the AHS upper secondary school curriculum is designed to prepare students for the comprehensive Matura in year 12. Passing the exam is a prerequisite for studying at a university.  

From the 10th school year onwards, students can choose from elective subjects and put together an individual curriculum that supports their academic and professional goals. Depending on the type of grammar school, students take up to 10 hours of compulsory electives per week. 

The “Mittelschule” (MS), formerly known as the "Hauptschule", is a public school that covers the 5th to 8th school years. While an AHS can reject applicants due to low academic performance, the Mittelschule accepts all students who have completed the 4th year of elementary school with at least an "adequate" grade. Graduates of a middle school can transfer to vocational middle or higher schools (BMS or BHS) or to an AHS upper secondary school (9th to 12th or 13th school year). The so-called Sportmittelschule is a secondary school with a focus on sport, which also includes the compulsory 9th school year. Additional admission criteria (entrance examination, medical certificate, etc.) apply for a secondary school specializing in sports or music. 

Another option for vocational training is the five-year Berufsbildende Höhere Schule (BHS). The BHS offers vocational training at a higher level as well as a comprehensive general education. These differ according to subject area:  

• The Höhere Technische Lehranstalt (HTL) specializes in technology, engineering or industrial design.   
• The Höhere Lehranstalt für wirtschaftliche Berufe (HLW) specializes in business, communication, design and fashion, tourism, nutrition and administration.   
• The Handelsakademie (HAK) teaches accounting and business administration. Other possible specializations include forestry and childhood education. 

The main advantage of the BHS is that it combines vocational training (also through compulsory internships and training in companies) with a university entrance qualification. The prerequisite for admission to a BHS is the successful completion of at least eight years of compulsory schooling. In some cases, the admission procedure includes an entrance examination. Students complete their BHS education with a combination of a school-leaving examination and a diploma examination, which gives them direct access to legally regulated professions. BHS graduates can immediately take up employment in a specialist field, study at a university or set up a company.