Steiermark requires 1,696 children to attend summer school

Summer school begins Monday for 7,755 children and young people in Styria, with participation mandatory for 1,696 pupils. ORF reports that the programme will focus mainly on improving German skills, particularly among children who learn German as a second language.

The pupils required to attend are classified as extraordinary students. They attend a German support class on the first day of the summer semester and are therefore obliged to take part in the two-week programme.

Styria’s education director, Elisabeth Meixner, said the aim was to improve the children’s written and spoken German so they would have an easier time in regular classes two weeks later. “According to the current figures, there are 1,696 children, simply because there is a need for action, particularly in the development of language,” she said.

Many more children are taking part voluntarily. In addition to German, the programme includes subjects such as mathematics, English and general studies. Schools can also set their own programme priorities and combinations of subjects, but German support remains the main focus.

The summer school is being held at 179 school locations across Styria. Some participating children will attend a school unfamiliar to them. According to Meixner, difficulties linked to insufficient German skills are increasingly affecting district towns across Styria, not only Graz.