Savings in Youth Coaching Cause Heavy Criticism

Since 2012, youth coaching has aimed to keep young people aged 15 and over in school or training, or to reintegrate them into the system after dropping out. According to evaluations, the measure is a success and has often been promoted by politicians as an important factor for the comparatively low youth unemployment in Austria. However, due to the tight budget, savings must also be made here, with a third of the services being cut at AHS and BHS. This is causing a stir in the schools.

In the Gymnasiums, they are reacting "very alarmed" to the cuts

In the Gymnasiums, they are reacting "very alarmed" to the cuts, reported AHS directors' spokesperson Isabella Zins to the APA. "We are really appalled. In times like these, we need more of this, not less." Especially in the first year of upper secondary school, some young people realize that they are overwhelmed by this type of school. Without youth coaches, an important point of contact is missing, which can show them alternatives and prevent them from dropping out of the system. "The youth coaches have various testing tools at their disposal, a lot of experience, and also help with applications," emphasized Zins, highlighting their added value. Teachers and class heads cannot offer this quality.

"Very severe"

The vocational higher education schools (BHS) are also "very severely" affected by the cuts, according to directors' spokesperson Wolfgang Bodai. "When young people lose their orientation, the youth coaches really help a lot." Students are more likely to confide in external people, and there is no appropriately trained staff at the schools.

At AHS upper secondary levels, a quarter of young people switch to another educational path or drop out over the years, while at BHS it is a third. The dropout rates are highest in the first year, according to an analysis by Statistics Austria. There are hardly any alternatives to youth coaching at higher schools with their approximately 230,000 students. It is only since this autumn that there has been school social work there, starting with 30 positions.

Ministry: Counseling "only to a lesser extent"

In the office of Social Minister Korinna Schumann (SPÖ), it was emphasized to the APA that prevention through youth coaching would continue at AHS and BHS despite the cuts - "only to a lesser extent." In principle, it should remain open to all young people at schools leading to a Matura, but there may be waiting times.

In budget planning, savings in youth coaching were only made where it was most justifiable: Within higher schools, funds were reallocated to regions with previously little provision. Resources were shifted from AHS and BHS, where the ministry sees the comparatively "greatest potential for self-organization," to areas with "particularly high demand" - specifically to school and training dropouts, who need more provision than before, to the compulsory school sector, and to young people with disabilities.

As a result, for example, youth coaching in Vienna, with its very high demand across all areas, had to be reduced significantly less than nationwide (minus 0.4 percent compared to 1.5). However, this was only possible because the provision in higher schools in the federal capital itself was also cut by a third, according to the ministry.

How many heads or full-time positions are currently being saved in total could not be said quickly. In practice, the projects are often not limited to just one area. The ministry assumes that due to the savings this year and next year, the provision across all areas will have to be reduced to 69,000 funding cases, with 72.5 and 71.4 million euros budgeted for this. In 2024, there were still over 70,100 funding cases.

Contradiction to Planned "Perspective Talk"

Mario Steiner from the Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS), who evaluated youth coaching in 2021 and attested the model an "impressive" success record, considers cuts in this area to be fundamentally "very short-sighted." Only with good counseling can it be prevented that young people invest time and the state money in training that does not actually fit and is eventually abandoned. If cuts must be made in this area, then sensibly where the problems are still comparatively minor.

Criticism of the cuts also comes because of the timing. Just as the Ministry of Education is preparing the introduction of perspective talks, which aim to show school dropouts development opportunities and support them in transitioning to another school or training, the Ministry of Social Affairs is cutting back on youth coaches, whose job also includes preventing school dropouts. "This contradicts each other," said Steiner. According to BHS directors' spokesperson Bodai, youth coaches would also be urgently needed for the perspective talks.

The Ministry of Social Affairs stated that perspective talks should generally be conducted by trusted teachers. The legal text does state that external personnel such as a youth coach "can" be involved, and it would also be appropriate in terms of content. However, whether youth coaches are available for this must be "examined in each individual case."

The Greens demanded on Monday via a press release that the cuts be immediately reversed. Youth coaching is one of the most effective instruments to prevent school dropouts and create real perspectives. "Cutting back there is short-sighted, unsocial, and a slap in the face to all schools that fight daily to open up opportunities for young people," criticized education spokesperson Sigrid Maurer.

(APA/Red)

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