Hohenems school reports 10 percent missed summer school
Saturday 12th September 2026 on 14:45 in
Austria
About 10 percent of pupils at a summer school in Hohenems were absent at the start or did not attend at all, ORF Vorarlberg reported. The two-week programme ended on Friday for around 3,000 pupils across Vorarlberg.
At Hohenems Markt primary school, the summer school was held for the third time. Six teachers taught about 90 children from the first to fourth grades over the two weeks.
Finding teachers was not difficult, according to school director Marion Schwärzler-Marent. However, the school administration spent considerable time during the first days dealing with absences.
“Not everyone who was supposed to come actually appeared. I had to call and ask about the reason for the absence,” Schwärzler-Marent said. “At my school, I can certainly say that 10 percent were absent at the beginning or did not come at all.”
The Vorarlberg Education Directorate confirmed that some children did not attend during the first days. It said the exact number still had to be established.
Attendance at summer school is compulsory, whether pupils registered voluntarily or were required to attend because of insufficient German-language skills, the directorate said. “Unjustified absence constitutes a breach of compulsory schooling. If there are more than three unjustified absences, a report must be filed with the district authority,” said Elisabeth Mettauer, a spokeswoman for the Education Directorate.
This year, Vorarlberg recorded a record number of registrations, with around 3,000 pupils. All pupils received a place, and some who had not registered also appeared on the first day, including siblings. They were accommodated as well, Mettauer said.
Schwärzler-Marent said the summer school was generally a good way to prepare children for the start of the school year after the long summer holidays. The focus was perhaps less on subject content than on helping pupils return to a routine, including getting up in the morning, she said.
She supported compulsory attendance for pupils with insufficient German-language skills, but said it was difficult to make up learning gaps within two weeks.