The Austrian School System
All children who live in Austria must attend kindergarten for one year and school from the age of 6 to 15.
Overview
State schools are free of charge, while private schools and so-called private schools with public status charge a monthly tuition fee.
Private schools with public status (Privatschulen mit Öffentlichkeitsrecht) are essentially officially accredited private schools. If you are the parent of a child of compulsory school age, you should receive an invitation letter from the city or provincial education authority where you live. You and your child may then participate in the in-person registration process at the local school. If you don’t speak German well enough, consider bringing along someone who does.
Public schools accept children who speak very little German as so-called außerordentliche/r Schüler/in. This means they attend school with the other children and can advance to the next level. They are granted one year in which they are tested every semester by a centralized language test called the MIKA D. Schools usually offer language-support courses. In state schools, all pupils receive free school books for all subjects, and bilingual children can request books for German as a second language as well as bilingual dictionaries.
Compulsory Kindergarten Year
Children who have reached the age of five before September 1st and have their main residence in Austria are obliged to attend a kindergarten or nursery for at least 20 hours a week, spread across a minimum of four days.
Some exceptions:
- In case of illness of the child or parents
- Children with special needs
- Children who are admitted to school early
You can register your child for a place in a state kindergarten at any time, but during the main registration period (November-December) your chances of getting the desired place increase (up to two places can be applied for). You can register your child through your local council offices. Your child will then receive a kindergarten identification number.
You can opt for a place in a private kindergarten or nursery, with private childminders or an after-school day-care centre. To register your child in a private kindergarten, you must first apply for a customer number from your local authority. You can use this number to register directly with the private kindergarten. Each private kindergarten has its own registration deadlines and admission requirements, so it is advisable to start your search a year before you want to enrol your child.
If your child is resident in Austria, it is free of charge for them to attend a state kindergarten, but there are costs for meals and certain extras (e.g. extended attendance times or special activities).
Preschool Nurseries and Daycare Centres
Parents of pre-school children can choose from a wide range of childcare options, including state-run and private kindergartens, nurseries and daycare centres.
State kindergartens are open all year round, except on public holidays and semester breaks, December 24th and 31st, and some have a summer break. Many state kindergartens nationwide are open the whole day. There might be small fees for meals and special activities.
Out-of-school and after-school care
Although the term after-school care usually refers to after-school care for school-age children, many pre-school children attend after-school care instead of or in addition to kindergarten or a nursery, particularly during the compulsory kindergarten year.
Preschools and Daycare Centres
Primary School
According to Austrian law, all children who are six years old on September 1st must attend primary school.
If your child turns six after September 1st and before March 1st, you can apply for early admission to primary school. The school will determine whether the child is ready for school and has the necessary social skills. In Austria, compulsory schooling consists of four years of primary school education and five years of secondary school education - generally for pupils between the ages of 6 and 15.
At state schools, primary level 1, comprises of the first and second grade. Pupils have up to three years to complete this first basic level. Six-year-old pupils who are not yet ready for school can enter a pre-school class or repeat first grade. Pupils can move up a level during the school year on the recommendation of their parents or teachers. Primary level 2 of the state school system comprises of the third and fourth grade.
Austria's declared goals for primary education are:
- Teaching the basics (reading, writing, arithmetic)
- Deepening children's understanding of their environment and supporting them in learning and practicing tolerance, participation, shared responsibility and respect for others
Further Reading
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School Hours
State primary schools 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.
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Class Sizes
Although state primary schools 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.
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Admission
Registration usually takes place in the autumn/early winter of the year prior to admission. A database of all schools (school guideschool guide ()) is available online. It is also available in print from all schools and service centres.
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 primary 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. a private school with public status), or you will need to apply for an exemption from compulsory schooling.
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School Trips & Sporting Activities
Primary schools usually organize one or more excursions lasting several days (usually for pupils in 3rd and 4th grade). Transportation, accommodation and meals for the children are paid for separately by the parents (in some cases subsidized by the school's parents' association). Financial support may be provided for children with special needs.
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Grading Procedure
Academic performance is generally assessed with grades from 1 to 5. A grade of 1 for ''Very good'', followed by 2 for ''Good'', 3 for ''Satisfactory'', 4 for ''Sufficient'' and 5 for ''Not sufficient'' or failed. In most schools, students receive a written interim report at the end of the winter semester in February and an end-of-year report at the end of the summer semester in June.
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School Year and Vacations
The school year is usually divided into two semesters: Winter semester - from September to February, and summer semester - from February to June. The general school vacations include: one week in February between the two semesters (semester break); one and a half weeks for Easter (Easter holidays); three days around Pentecost (spring break), nine weeks in summer (summer holidays); five days in October (autumn break); and two weeks around Christmas (Christmas holidays). In addition, there are a maximum of 3 additional days off per year (schulautonome tage) which the school may determine themselves. These days are often to bridge the gap between a public holiday and a weekend.
Secondary Education
After completing primary school, pupils move onto either a secondary school (AHS) or a middle school (MS).
The MS accepts all students regardless of their 4th grade elementary school leaving certificate, while the AHS decides whether the pupil may attend the school on the basis of academic performance. Secondary school graduates, who may choose between basic and advanced courses, can progress to attend the upper levels of secondary called “Gymnasiale Oberstufe” or move onto a vocational secondary school called “Berufsbildende höhere Schule” (HLW, HTL, Polytechnische Schule, HAK, more on this in chapter 6.2.). Austrian legislation prescribes five years of secondary education (usually for pupils aged 10 to 15), i.e. up to the 9th school year. After that, pupils may continue their schooling at secondary school, do an apprenticeship or attend a vocational secondary school, or forego further education at that point.
Types of Secondary Education
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Bilingual Education
Austria has many educational opportunities for those whose native language is not German - from international schools to bilingual programmes to fast immersive German courses.
In the 2023/24 school year, more than 20.2% of pupils who attend school in Austria were non-native German speakers. In the 2023/24 school year, an estimated 39,651 pupils needed additional German lessons. In 2019, Austria introduced a national language measurement system for assessing German skills called MIKA-D. There is a language test in the last year of preschool for German native speakers and non-native speakers. For all pupils whose German is not fluent, 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.
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Secondary School (AHS)
An AHS offers a comprehensive and in-depth general education for students. Generally referred to as a "Gymnasium" (formerly known as grammar school), 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 state schools offer almost identical core curricula. In year 7, the subjects focused on is divided into one of the following areas:
- Grammer school: Focuses on languages (usually English, Latin and French), humanities and the arts.
- School of Science & Technology: Focuses on mathematics, natural sciences, geometry, technology and textiles.
- School of Business & Economics: Focuses on economics, commerce, technology and textile crafts.
- School of Music & Drama: Focuses on the advancement of the fine arts, including music, art, crafts, dance, drama, literature and rhetoric.
- School of Sports: 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 their school leaving exams (Matura). An important part of the AHS upper secondary school curriculum is designed to prepare students for taking the 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 secondary school, students take up to 10 hours of their elective subjects per week.
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Middle school (Mittelschule)
The “Mittelschule” (MS), formerly known as the "Hauptschule", is a state 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 their 4th year of elementary school with at least an "adequate" grade. Graduates of a middle school can progress to a vocational middle school or high school (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.
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Vocational High Schools (BHS)
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) specialises in technology, engineering or industrial design.
- The Höhere Lehranstalt für wirtschaftliche Berufe (HLW) specialises in business, communication, design and fashion, as well as tourism, nutrition and administration.
- The Handelsakademie (HAK) teaches accounting and business administration. Other possible specialisations are 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. Pupils 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.
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Bilingual BHS
The vast majority of vocational high schools (BHS) in Austria teach in German. However, there are also bilingual schools (German and English), such as the Internationale Handelsakademie Hetzendorf (an HAK) and schools with bilingual classes, such as the HTL Spengergasse Vienna.
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Vocational Middle School (BMS)
Another option for acquiring vocational skills is to attend a three- or four-year school (vocational middle school, known as a “Berufsbildende mittlere Schule” or BMS).
These schools combine basic vocational skills, such as accounting or business administration, with a general education. They do not require an entrance exam. Students are often encouraged or required to complete one or more internships. The individual BMS have different specializations, e.g. technology, trade, crafts, economics, fashion, hotel and catering/tourism, social professions, sports, social services, healthcare, nursing, agriculture, forestry and social services. The prerequisite for admission is eight years of compulsory schooling and, in some cases, passing an entrance examination. At the end of the BMS there is a final examination.
After completing the BMS, students can work in their field of specialization, but they can also continue their education with advanced courses that can lead to a diploma examination. Alternatively, they can take the Berufsreifeprüfung (Matura) after further courses.
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Vocational Training in Healthcare Professions: for Nurses, Masseurs and Medical Technicians
Schools for healthcare and nursing currently offer a three-year training course in qualified nursing. Prerequisites for admission are 10 years of schooling and the successful completion of an admission interview and/or test. The schools generally work together with hospitals that offer vocational training. At the end of the course, students write a final thesis and take a diploma examination. Qualified nurses can take up employment, take the Berufsreifeprüfung or complete further training to prepare for management roles or to specialize in child and youth care or psychiatric care. From 2023, schools for healthcare and nursing will only offer training to become a nursing assistant, while training to become a qualified nurse will be converted into a bachelor's degree at universities of applied sciences.
If you are interested in training to become a medical masseur or medical technician, you can choose between various training courses, some of which are organized in cooperation with hospitals. The admission requirements vary.
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Colleges
These four to six semester courses (depending on whether they are full-time or evening classes) are offered by some BHS. These are colleges specializing in technology, arts and crafts, commerce, trade, elementary or social pedagogy, fashion, tourism and economics. The prerequisite for admission is a school-leaving examination, a Berufsreifeprüfung or a limited university entrance qualification examination. For universities of applied sciences, the completion of a four-year technical education is often sufficient. Graduates do not receive a bachelor's degree, but take a diploma examination that grants them certain rights under the trade regulations in the respective profession.
Further Information on the School System
Information on the Austrian school system.
