200,000 Lower Austrian pupils return to school under new rules

More than 200,000 pupils returned to classrooms in Lower Austria on Monday, including around 18,500 children starting school for the first time, ORF reported. The new school year also began in Vienna and Burgenland.

Schools are preparing for several new rules, including a headscarf ban for girls under 14. From the 2026-27 school year, head coverings that conceal the head according to Islamic traditions are prohibited at public and private schools. Exceptions apply to school events, school-related events outside school and home schooling.

Isabella Zins, federal spokeswoman for secondary-school principals and head of BORG Mistelbach, said teaching staff had been well informed by the Education Ministry and education directorates. She said the procedure for violations was clear.

Teachers must first ask a pupil to remove the headscarf. If she refuses, the school management must speak with the pupil and her parents. Further violations must be reported to the education directorate or lead to administrative penalty proceedings. Fines of between 150 and 800 euros may be imposed and, according to the ministry, can be issued more than once.

Extra support for schools

About 400 primary and lower secondary schools across Austria, including 27 in Lower Austria, will receive additional support staff because many of their pupils require extra assistance. The support can include teachers, school psychologists, social workers, theatre, music and dance educators, and trainers for dyslexia and dyscalculia. Schools can decide how to use the support according to their needs.

Violence prevention is another focus this school year. Pupils suspended for more than three days must receive mandatory support. A binding support plan will be drawn up for each suspended child, with parents or guardians also expected to participate.

Support before leaving school

Under a new system known as “perspective discussions”, pupils from the ninth school year onwards must speak with at least one trusted teacher before leaving school. Parents or guardians must also attend if the pupil is under 18, and administrative penalties may apply if they refuse.

The discussions are intended to clarify why a pupil wants to leave, identify individual support options and agree on the next steps. Zins said the aim was to prevent pupils from dropping out of the education and training system and to highlight their strengths.

Upper secondary schools will also focus on artificial intelligence, media literacy and democracy education. Zins said these topics are planned as separate school subjects from the 2027-28 school year, and that lessons would begin preparing pupils for them now. Schools in Lower Austria will also place greater emphasis on reading and language support, including having pupils read summaries and specialist texts aloud across all subjects.