Schools step up support as Austrian teens struggle with reading
Thursday 22nd October 2026 on 19:15 in
Austria
Reading skills among teenagers in Austria continue to decline, according to the latest PISA study, prompting schools in Upper Austria to provide extra support. ORF reports that urban schools often perform worse, with students’ social and economic circumstances playing a greater role than migration background.
Austria remains just above the average for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, but many young people struggle to understand what they read. Short smartphone messages and fewer longer texts in everyday life may also be affecting reading ability.
More support in schools
Petra Wurdinger, principal of the Otto-Glöckel primary school in Linz, said language was a key challenge in daily lessons, as many children speak a first language other than German. “Their vocabulary needs to be built up accordingly,” she said. The school also teaches children reading strategies to help them understand texts, and has seen some improvement in performance.
Since autumn, 400 schools across Austria have received additional staff through the education ministry’s Chancenbonus programme. The Linz school is among them and says it has gained 10 extra hours of support each week.
The ministry has allocated 120,000 euros to train additional reading coaches through non-profit organisations. Pilot projects using new approaches to reading support are also due to begin during the current school year.
Understanding texts is a priority
Teaching now focuses not only on reading fluently but also on understanding and working through texts. Gudrun Kasberger, a professor of language education at the University College of Teacher Education of the Diocese of Linz, said phone use could take time away from reading other material.
The impact of the new measures will become clearer in the coming years. The next PISA assessment is scheduled for three years from now.
Kasberger said children’s home environment also mattered. Reading aloud to children for a few minutes each day could make a difference, she said, while regular reading and having books in everyday life can help children engage with texts later on.