Lower Austria schools can integrate German support into lessons

Schools in Lower Austria can now choose whether to teach German learners in separate support classes or integrate language support into regular lessons, ORF reported. The change is intended to make it easier for pupils to move into mainstream classes and reduce delays in their education.

At Franz-Jonas primary school in St. Pölten, where 40 of 283 pupils need German support, the school offers both approaches. The integrated model allows pupils to take subjects including mathematics alongside language support, said headteacher Senta Paul. Previously, she said, the focus on German and reading skills meant subjects such as mathematics were not covered.

Since the 2018-19 school year, pupils starting school or transferring from abroad who did not perform well enough on an assessment have had to attend separate German support classes or groups. Under that model, they can receive up to 20 hours of German instruction a week for as long as two years, with joint lessons with their regular class limited to subjects such as crafts, music and physical education.

The school decides individually which approach suits each child. Separate classes remain available for pupils who need to build vocabulary and learn to form grammatically correct sentences. Petra Kastner, who leads the school’s language support group, said children may need six months to a year before they can follow regular lessons.

Seventy schools in Lower Austria have submitted their own German support plans this year. Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr said at the start of the school year that nearly a quarter of pupils with exceptional status lose at least a year in their education, a figure he described as too high.