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Education in Austria
Upper Austria provides a wide variety of high-quality international education at a fair price. In this chapter, you will find general information about how the Austrian educational system is structured and a compact overview of educational institutions, student benefits and useful links for further information.
Nine years of compulsory education
All children from ages 6 to 15 living in Austria must go to school. The classes are divided according to age. Visiting a public school does not cost anything, in contrast to private schools. Timetables define the duration of lessons. In case of illness or absence, the school has to be informed immediately.
State schools are free of charge, in contrast to private schools. The duration of lessons is laid out in timetables.
School year & performance assessment
The school year, which starts in September, is divided into two semesters. The pupils receive a report in February and a certificate at the end of the school year in early July. There are nine weeks of summer holidays between July and September. Pupils’ performances are graded with the marks:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very Good | Good | Satisfactory | Sufficient | Insufficient |
If a subject is graded as insufficient, the pupil has the chance to improve this by taking an exam. Some compulsory schools offer other forms of assessment.
School-free days
Upper Austrian schools are closed on public holidays with discretionary school-free days: the latter being four to five days, which are partly decided by the schools and partly by the regional Board of Education.
All schoolfree days can be found here: www.schulferien.org/oesterreich/ferien
School enrollment
As a rule, children are required to attend their local primary school (Volksschule) according to their catchment area.
A different school can be chosen, if this is agreed with the school management and the local authority. Enrollment for primary school takes place directly at the relevant school through a meeting between the school management, parent(s) and the child. The registration deadline given by the regional Board of Education is usually in November for the following school year. This is announced through a notice on the school door or a letter from the responsible managing authority. Following registration, information is often given at parents’ evenings, on request or on the school website.
Enrollment during the school year and inadequate German language skills
For new pupils joining a school during the school year, the school management is the first point of contact. The child is placed in the appropriate class according to academic level and age, provided prerequisites are met. Children with inadequate language skills can be taught, with or without grading, for two years as special needs pupils. In some cases, these children are also offered classes in their own language in the afternoon. Relevant information is provided by the school management.
Transport
Subsidised transport for pupils, apprentices and students
Supervision
All-day supervision options at compulsory schools (6 to 14 years)
Special needs, 6 to 15 years of age (1st to 9th school year)
At the request of the parents or guardian, schooling for children and teenagers with special needs can take place either at a special school suited to the respective disability, or as integrative teaching at a joint school. Please contact the respective parish schools for further information.
School allowances
The multilingual online adviser Schülerbeihilfen provided by the Department of Education allows you to check the general eligibility requirements (social needs, time of residence in Austria, etc.) for different types of school allowance, and guides you to the correct application form.
Evelyn Hetzinger
School System Structure
6 to 10 years of age (1st to 4th school year)
The first day of school in primary schools is the second Monday in September for children who have reached their sixth birthday, provided they are ready. If this is not the case, it is possible to arrange with the school management for the child to attend preschool.
10 to 14 years of age (5th to 8th school year)
The MS is open to all pupils. There are also MS with specialisations, where assessment tests are required. Through a sound educational and professional focus, pupils receive advice based on their strengths, allowing them to make more informed decisions on their further education and career at the end of their schooling. In contrast to the MS, the AHS can decline pupils, even when all criteria are fulfilled. The AHS lower grade is aimed at high-performing pupils, with the goal of providing a comprehensive and in-depth general education along with making pupils more independent.
14 to 15 years of age (9th school year)
This is a one-year education that prepares pupils for professional life.
The schooling covers general knowledge, career guidance and basic education. An orientation phase at the beginning of the school year facilitates getting familiar with the world of work. The choice of career or apprenticeship is supported through professional certification in apprentice workshops, external institutions and work experience in companies.
From 15 years of age (2 to 4 years)
An apprenticeship is open to all teenagers, provided they have completed the nine years of compulsory school. The access to an apprenticeship is not bound to a certain school-leaving qualification. The training takes place in two locations, one being a company where the apprenticeship takes place, and the other being a vocational school. The apprentice has a training relationship with the company and is simultaneously a student of the vocational school. The apprenticeship (mostly three years) is completed with a final apprenticeship examination.
Further information can be found on the following platforms:
High schools are distinguished by their focus, which is either general education (Allgemeinbildend/AHS) or vocational training (Berufsbildend/BMHS) with different subjects such as sales, technical, tourism or social studies. It is not compulsory to accept applications, the school management makes the final decision. Possible high schools are:
General high school (Allgemeinbildende höhere Schule/AHS) – upper grade
14 to 18 years of age
After the NMS or AHS lower grade, students can continue their education at the AHS upper grade. The AHS provides a good general education, and certain locations offer specialist subjects. The upper grade of the AHS is four years in duration and ends with the school leaving certificate (Matura), which allows further study at universities, technical colleges or pedagogic schools
Vocational middle and upper schools (BMHS)
14 to 17 or 19 years of age
Intermediate Vocational middle schools (Berufsbildende mittlere Schulen/BMS) last one to four years. The BMS provides a partial vocational education (one or two years) or a complete vocational education (final exam after three or four years, for example business school). After completing a BMS course of at least 3 years, an advanced course can be taken leading to a school leaving certificate or diploma. For graduates of 4-year technical schools, there are specialised vocational colleges focussing on specific subjects.
Higher Vocational Schools (Berufsbildende höhere Schulen/BHS) provide a sound general education along with a higher vocational education over five years, ending with a school leaving certificate and diploma. A school leaving certificate entitles pupils to study at universities, technical colleges and colleges of education, and a diploma examination allows access to regulated professions, according to the industrial regulations.
In some cases, an entry or aptitude examination is needed for a vocational school. must be taken to register at a vocational school.
Please find more information here: www.berufsbildendeschulen.at
International schools
Anton Bruckner International School (ABIS) founded in 2008 is the only international school in Upper Austria to offer the Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and the IB Diploma Programme authorised by the International Baccalaureate Organisation (www.ibo.org).
ABIS currently provides education to over 300 students from 48 different nations from the age of 4.5 to 18 years (from 1st to 12th grade)
Anton Bruckner International School is a private school with public status.
LISA is a public school in Austria with instruction in English and offering students the possibility of graduating with both the Austrian Matura as well as the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. Students are admitted starting the 5th school year (1st class AHS) are taught the Austrian curriculum and are eligible to graduate after completion of the 12th school. The I.B. will be introduced in the higher classes for children who want to achieve the IB Diploma.
10 to 18 years of age (from 5th to 12th grade). As an international school, LISA is part of the state-funded Europagymnasium (high school) in Linz-Auhof, and offers the International Baccalaureate (IB Diploma, www.ibo.org) alongside the standard school leaving certificate. Based on the AHS and IB curriculums, general education content is delivered in English using project-oriented and interdisciplinary techniques.
The public secondary academic school Gymnasium Ried offers a bilingual (German – English) class for students aged 10 to 14/18 in Ried im Innkreis, implementing German as well as English as the language of instruction from the first day of school. Based on the Austrian curriculum, the programme is aimed at young people who seek a broad and balanced education on their way to the Austrian A-levels (Matura).
GRIBS currently provides education from the age of 10 to 14/18 years (from 5th to 8th/12th grade).
HTL Leonding is a state-operated technical secondary school in Leonding, Upper Austria, founded in 1984. It provides vocational education at Matura level across four technical disciplines: Computer Science (including the English-taught CSI program), IT Media Technology, Electronics & Technical Informatics, and Biomedical & Health Technology. The school offers a five-year day program, a four-year technical school, and evening classes for working adults. Graduates may also earn a British Bachelor’s degree through a partnership with UCLan.
Find all schools in Upper Austria
The regional Board of Education is the control centre, the highest school authority and employer of teachers. It is also the point of contact for all pupils in Upper Austria. The institution’s website lists all state and private schools in Upper Austria: www.bildung-ooe.gv.at/Schule-und-Unterricht/Schulen
Allowances for families
Childcare options
Independent of whether a private or public childcare is desired, it is highly recommended to investigate local childcare options directly after childbirth and to register as soon as possible! If the registration cannot be made directly at the facility or carrier (operator such as church, association, municipal authority), the registration forms can be found at the local authority in rural areas or municipal authority in Linz, Steyr and Wels or, in some cases, they are available online.
The city of Linz runs a bilingual kindergarten and crèche at the Poschacher Villa. Children will receive care in both German and English. This is expected to have particular benefits for personal, social, and professional development. There are twelve teachers and four native speakers employed.
This private Kindergarten prepares children for their further life in a playful way, with pedagogues and native English and German speakers. More details about this bilingual Kindergarten in the center of Linz, including costs and registration.
www.playschool.at
A crèche/nursery provides supervision, education and the upbringing of children up to three years of age. Normally the acceptance of children is, in addition to the age restriction, based on the parents being employed, looking for work or being in education. There are some exceptions to this. Opening times of these facilities vary; some are open the whole day throughout the year. However, this should be clarified at the registration.
Kindergartens offer supplementary care for children, supporting physical, mental and spiritual development. Generally, a half-day visit to Kindergarten from September until June, excluding holidays, is compulsory for the year before starting school (at the age of six).
Company childcare facilities are close to the employer and are aimed at the children of employees. The HR department or workers' council is usually the right point of contact for enrollment.
There are extended age groups in some Kindergartens, which accept children from two years of age (in exceptional cases from 18 months) or at primary school age. This model of childcare is usually found in small rural areas.
All-day schools spread lessons, learning and free-time over the whole day, based on a pedagogical overall concept. This is not just an extension of teaching hours, but rather a distribution over the whole day suited to age with individualized lessons and other child teaching methods for individual, independent, creative, interdisciplinary and social learning. There is compulsory attendance between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. In some cases, working parents can bring their children as early as 7 in the morning for breakfast, with a snack and lunch menu also being provided. For information about local all-day schools, contact the local or municipal authority or the regional education board. An all-day school can also be seen as a form of childcare for children aged from 6 to 14.
This kind of care, also known as Schulische Nachmittagsbetreuung or NABE, does not offer lessons, just supervised learning and free-time which is individually tailored or on a specific theme. The school-based afternoon care normally lasts until 4 p.m. Sometimes there is the possibility just to attend on certain days. Parents may pay a fee for this service.
School children can visit an after-school care center (known as a Hort). The opening and holiday times depend on the operator and differ significantly. Normally these centers are open in the afternoon, and a few also open before lessons start. In the after-school care center, children can have lunch, unwind, do their homework independently or take part in free-time activities. If there is no direct relationship with a school, there is no targeted practice of school curriculum material. Sometimes after-school care centers are also open on school-free days, although this should be confirmed with the operator at registration. In terms of timing, after-school care centers are a very flexible form of afternoon care. Some centers are attached to a school, whereas others provide for children from more than one school.
Some institutional and private facilities offer holiday and summer childcare. If this is of interest, parents should clarify if it is offered when registering for care (at a nursery, kindergarten or after-school care center). Additionally, there are summer care projects like holiday or adventure weeks or summer camps.
Kindergartens offer supplementary care for children, supporting physical, mental and spiritual development. Generally, a half-day visit to Kindergarten from September until June, excluding holidays, is compulsory for the year before starting school (at the age of six).
Further education for adults
In Upper Austria, there are a range of further education institutes alongside the tertiary education offerings, for example the vocational training institute BFI (Berufsförderungsinstitut), which offers both professional education for employees and training and retraining for job seekers.
The Institute for Economic Promotion (Wirtschaftsförderungsinstitut/WIFI) is an organisation specialising in professional adult education. It offers practical training and further education, from the start of your career to academic completion, along with free advice on German classes in German and English.
The Adult Education Centre (Volkshochschule/VHS) follows a comprehensive approach with programmes offering something for everyone. www.limak.at and www.qualityaustria.com In addition, there are organisations such as LIMAK in Linz, the first Business School in Austria (postgraduate education) or Quality Austria dealing with topics such as training and personal certification.
Further information about adult education and a course finder can be found at:
www.weiterbilden.at
www.erwachsenenbildung.at
www.arbeiterkammer.at
www.ams.at