Vorarlberg approves more school breaks for alpine stays

Authorities in Vorarlberg approved 86 school exemptions for children staying on Alpine pastures with their families during the 2025/26 school year, up from 56 two years earlier, ORF reports.

Families who move to an Alpine pasture for the season can still apply for their children to be excused from classes, although a specific legal provision for these so-called Alpine exemptions no longer exists. It was repealed under the 2017 education reform law.

Applications are now handled under general rules allowing absences from school for a justified reason. The number of approved exemptions rose from 56 in 2023/24 to 73 in 2024/25 and 86 in 2025/26. The Vorarlberg education directorate said the increase may partly be linked to the later start of the summer holidays.

The education directorate approves applications covering more than one week. Schools decide on absences of up to one week, but the directorate does not keep figures for those cases. The total number of children excused for Alpine stays is therefore likely higher than the reported 86.

Children must move to the Alpine pasture with their parents or legal guardians as part of their care arrangements. The Vorarlberg Chamber of Agriculture supports the exemptions, saying an Alpine stay provides an alternative learning environment, particularly during the final weeks of the school year when regular classes are no longer taking place.