Eurybase The Information Database on Education Systems in Europe The Education System in Austria 2008/09 Eurybase – Austria (2008/09) 1. POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BACKGROUND AND TRENDS....................................... 1 1.1. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1. Party system.......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.2. EU membership..................................................................................................................... 2 1.2. MAIN EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE BODIES...................................................................................... 3 1.2.1. Legislative bodies.................................................................................................................. 3 1.2.2. The executive branch ............................................................................................................ 5 1.3. RELIGIONS...................................................................................................................................... 8 1.3.1. Legal basis ............................................................................................................................ 8 1.3.2. Statistics .............................................................................................................................. 10 1.3.3. Religious instruction ............................................................................................................ 10 1.4. OFFICIAL AND MINORITY LANGUAGES............................................................................................. 11 1.5. DEMOGRAPHIC SITUATION............................................................................................................. 12 1.6. ECONOMIC SITUATION................................................................................................................... 13 1.7. STATISTICS................................................................................................................................... 14 1.7.1. Demographic information .................................................................................................... 14 1.7.2. Asylum seekers in Austria ................................................................................................... 15 1.7.3. Economic developments ..................................................................................................... 15 2. GENERAL ORGANISATION OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM AND ADMINISTRATION OF EDUCATION ......................................................................................................................................... 16 2.1. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................. 16 2.2. ONGOING DEBATES AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS .......................................................................... 18 2.2.1. Optimising school administration.........................................................................................18 2.2.2. Universities .......................................................................................................................... 19 2.2.3. Fachhochschule programmes ............................................................................................. 19 2.3. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES AND BASIC LEGISLATION ...................................................................... 21 2.3.1. Public education .................................................................................................................. 21 2.3.2. Private education................................................................................................................. 21 2.4. GENERAL STRUCTURE AND DEFINING MOMENTS IN EDUCATIONAL GUIDANCE.................................. 23 2.4.1. Non-school establishments ................................................................................................. 24 2.4.2. Schools................................................................................................................................ 24 2.5. COMPULSORY EDUCATION............................................................................................................. 25 2.5.1. General compulsory schooling ............................................................................................ 25 2.5.2. Compulsory vocational training ...........................................................................................26 2.5.3. Accomplishment of compulsory education at private schools having public-law status ..... 26 2.5.4. Accomplishment of compulsory education by private tuition, and at schools without public- law status....................................................................................................................................... 27 2.5.5. Safeguards to enforce regular school attendance .............................................................. 27 2.6. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION............................................................................................................ 28 2.6.1. General administration at national level .............................................................................. 28 2.6.2. General Administration at Regional Level........................................................................... 33 2.6.3. General Administration at Local Level................................................................................. 36 2.6.4. Educational Institutions, Administration, Management ....................................................... 37 2.7. INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CONSULTATION ...................................................................................... 40 2.7.1. Internal Consultation............................................................................................................ 40 2.7.2. Consultation involving Players in Society at large............................................................... 47 2.7.3. Educational guidance services............................................................................................49 2.8. METHODS OF FINANCING EDUCATION............................................................................................. 53 2.8.1. Financing and education budget of schools........................................................................ 53 2.8.2. Financing and education budgets of universities ................................................................ 54 2.8.3. Funding and education budgets of Fachhochschule institutions ........................................ 55 2.9. STATISTICS................................................................................................................................... 57 3. PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION........................................................................................................... 58 3.1. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................. 59 3.2. ONGOING DEBATES AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................ 61 3.3. SPECIFIC LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK .............................................................................................. 62 3.4. GENERAL OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................................. 63 3.5. GEOGRAPHICAL ACCESSIBILITY ..................................................................................................... 64 www.eurydice.org Eurybase – Austria (2008/09) 3.6. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND CHOICE OF INSTITUTION/CENTRE.................................................. 65 3.7. FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR PUPILS' FAMILIES ................................................................................... 66 3.8. AGE LEVELS AND GROUPING OF CHILDREN .................................................................................... 67 3.9. ORGANISATION OF TIME ................................................................................................................ 68 3.9.1. Organisation of the Year...................................................................................................... 68 3.9.2. Weekly and Daily Timetable................................................................................................ 68 3.10. CURRICULUM, TYPES OF ACTIVITY, NUMBER OF HOURS................................................................ 69 3.11. TEACHING METHODS AND MATERIALS .......................................................................................... 70 3.12. EVALUATION OF CHILDREN .......................................................................................................... 71 3.13. SUPPORT FACILITIES................................................................................................................... 72 3.14. PRIVATE SECTOR PROVISION ...................................................................................................... 73 3.15. ORGANISATIONAL VARIATIONS AND ALTERNATIVE STRUCTURES.................................................... 74 3.16. STATISTICS................................................................................................................................. 75 4. PRIMARY EDUCATION...................................................................................................................