Burgenland tutoring centres see rush before school starts

Burgenland tutoring centres are seeing heavy demand less than a month before the new school year, ORF reported. Families in Austria spend an average of 720 euros per child on tutoring each year, according to a survey by the Chamber of Labour.

Nationwide, families spend 144 million euros on tutoring annually. The Chamber of Labour’s tutoring barometer found that one in three students receives tutoring.

At LernQuadrat, a tutoring institute in Eisenstadt, up to 30 students are attending each day. Most lessons are held in groups, although individual tuition is also available. Subjects include mathematics, languages and accounting.

“August is always very busy. We currently have intensive courses, which are almost fully booked,” institute director Corinna Haselberger said. Most students are preparing for a resit exam, while others are reviewing material so they can return to school after the nine-week holiday.

Burgenland offers free tutoring at compulsory schools during the school year, but not during the holidays. Haselberger said the programme had not affected demand for the institute’s services.

A one-week intensive course costs 270 euros. Haselberger said the institute could respond more individually to students’ questions than conventional classroom teaching. More than three weeks remain for students to catch up before school begins.