National Council Decided on Austria-Wide Orientation Classes

Children of school age who have immigrated to Austria and have no experience with educational institutions are to attend orientation classes first after their arrival in the next school year. In addition to the government factions, the Greens also supported the introduction of orientation classes during the plenary session. The FPÖ opposed this measure.

Orientation classes prepare students for the Austrian school system

During the attendance of orientation classes for a maximum duration of six months, the children are to be prepared for lessons in the Austrian school system by being taught initial German language skills and basic skills for attending school. For this purpose, separate groups can be set up that are cross-class, cross-grade, cross-school location, and cross-school type. The transition to a German support class should be flexible. Similar models already exist in Vienna and Vorarlberg, and with the amendment of the School Education Act, the orientation classes will be established nationwide as of September 1. Only the Freedom Party opposed the measure. FPÖ Member of Parliament Hermann Brückl criticized the orientation classes as a mere "placebo measure" that would only serve to combat symptoms. It is not the task of the school and teachers to carry out such a pure integration measure; instead, the associations engaged in this area should take over, rather than further burdening the teachers.

The representatives of the governing parties countered that the measure would indeed relieve teachers. Before they enter the regular school system, children must be fit for it, said ÖVP Secretary General Nico Marchetti. It has been shown in Vienna and Vorarlberg that the orientation classes work well and relieve the schools, said Heinrich Himmer, education spokesperson for the SPÖ. How many places are actually needed is not known, "but we are prepared for the future," said Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS) in response to the FPÖ's criticism that the measure would no longer be necessary if family reunification had indeed been stopped.

Training offers for elementary education and digital student IDs at PH

At the same time as the proposal, the introduction of digital student IDs at universities of teacher education was made possible through an amendment to the Higher Education Act. New training offers for elementary educators were also decided. Education Minister Wiederkehr spoke of a "paradigm shift" in elementary education because universities of applied sciences and universities could thereby offer their own studies in elementary education. However, the Greens felt this did not go far enough. They demanded tertiary education for elementary educators as in other European countries.

(APA/Red)

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