Communists call for more social workers in Salzburg schools

According to ORF, the Communist Party in Salzburg’s state parliament says the 51 social workers currently deployed in schools are not enough. It also says the time available for support is too limited, at just two to five hours per pupil per school year.

The coverage is particularly low in primary schools, where around five in six locations do not have regular school social work. In lower secondary schools, about two-thirds are not regularly supported, according to the state government’s response to a parliamentary inquiry from the Communist Party.

The stated hours include personal discussions, counselling for parents and teachers, crisis intervention, group work, cooperation with child and youth welfare services, and documentation. Communist Party parliamentary group leader Natalie Hangöbl described the service as inadequate and called for a significant expansion.

School social work is currently provided by Neustart, Spektrum and the Austrian Centre for Psychological Health Promotion in Schools, known as ÖZPGS.

The Communist Party also identified a gap in upper secondary schools. According to the government’s response, these providers do not offer regular school social work at grammar schools, technical colleges or commercial academies. The response noted that different responsibilities between institutions also raise questions.

The party said psychological strain among children and young people was a key reason for its demand. It called for reliable school social work with sufficient resources at every school location.