Related Sponsors

The Education in Austria

Home » Austria » Austria - The People and the Culture » The Education in Austria
Posted by Your Guide on May 17, 2006 7:30 PM

Education is a very important part of Austrian culture. Its history dates back to even before Empress Maria Theresa of Austria mandated primary education in 1740. However, it has been constantly transforming through the country’s history, especially since World War II; Austria has been attempting to change the concept of higher education from a right of the rich to an equal opportunity for everyone. In fact, the School Law of 1962 decrees that all state schools be open to children of any descent, gender, religion, etc.

Not only does the country have a free public school system, but they also require nine years of education and offer many different vocational and university-prep courses that extend up to four years beyond the required nine. The Austrian Ministry of Education is in charge of taking care of the funding and supervision of the education. Federal legislation is also a huge part of the education in Austria, passing laws that will affect the system. There are also private schools in Austria for primary and secondary education, most of which are run by the Catholic Church. In general, their discipline and standards are higher than average, and so they are considered to be elite schools. However, there are almost no private universities in Austria.

Austria’s state university system is free just like the primary and secondary education is. The General Law for University Education of 1966 provides for this legal funding and framework, and the twelve Austrian state universities and the six schools of music and art provide excellent degree programs for their students. Like the other schools, the universities have, since the 1960s, been developing in order to better serve the masses rather than the elite. Since then, the numbers of women and individuals with working-class and agricultural backgrounds attending the universities have increased dramatically.



Next Page: Austria's Religions

Related Articles