New Educational Goals for Kindergartens Starting in the Year 2026/27

In the kindergarten year 2026/27, a new nationwide educational framework plan for elementary educational institutions is set to come into effect in Austria for the first time. The guideline is being fundamentally revised for the first time since its introduction in 2009. The goal is to take into account the changed societal conditions and scientific findings.

"World Has Changed Massively": New Educational Goals for Kindergartens

"The world has changed massively in the past 15 years," explained Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS). Children today grow up under different conditions, which is why a contemporary pedagogical orientation is needed. The creation of the new educational framework plan is participatory – through a nationwide online survey among kindergarten educators, management, assistants, and training institutions.

Wiederkehr emphasized: "Only by involving these experts can we develop a comprehensive and practical new educational framework plan that contributes to ensuring our children are optimally supported."

Focus on German, Values, and Parental Involvement

According to the Ministry of Education, fixed content requirements for the new plan include a stronger emphasis on language promotion, particularly the German language, as well as intensified value education and closer cooperation with parents.

The federal states are obligated by the existing 15a agreement to implement the educational framework plan in their kindergartens. For this, they receive financial resources from the federal government – for example, for the mandatory last year of kindergarten, language promotion, and the expansion of childcare services. In the long term, the educational framework plan is also to be legally anchored at the federal level.

Shortage of Skilled Workers as a Major Hurdle

However, the implementation of the new educational plan is likely to fail due to the shortage of personnel – at least partially. Wiederkehr admitted that the existing requirements are hardly achievable in many institutions. Although a training initiative with 4,000 additional training places has been launched, the bottleneck remains acute.

"The situation will remain tense in the coming years," said the minister. In the past, too few training places were created, while the demand has continuously increased. Wiederkehr places hope in new bachelor's degree programs, which are intended to attract high school graduates to the profession in kindergartens.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.