Austria

===Education===
{{More citations needed section|date=December 2023}}
{{Main|Education in Austria}}

[[File:Melk - Stift (0).JPG|thumb|left|[[Stiftsgymnasium Melk]] is the oldest Austrian school.]]
Education in Austria is entrusted partly to the [[Federal states of Austria|Austrian federal states]] and partly to the national government. School attendance is [[compulsory education|compulsory]] for nine years, i.e. usually to the age of fifteen.

[[Pre-school]] education (called ''Kindergarten'' in Austrian German), free in most federal states, is provided for all children between the ages of three and six years and, whilst optional, is considered a normal part of a child's education due to its high takeup rate. Maximum class size is around 30, each class normally being cared for by one qualified teacher and one assistant.

Primary education, or ''[[Volksschule]]'', lasts for four years, starting at age six. The maximum class size is 30, but may be as low as 15. It is generally expected that a class will be taught by one teacher for the entire four years and the stable bond between teacher and pupil is considered important for a child's well-being. The [[The three Rs|3Rs]] (Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic) dominate lesson time, with less time allotted to project work than in the UK. Children work individually and all members of a class follow the same plan of work. There is no [[Streaming (education)|streaming]].

Standard attendance times are 8&nbsp;am to 12&nbsp;pm or 1&nbsp;pm, with hourly five- or ten-minute breaks. Children are given homework daily from the first year. Historically there has been no lunch hour, with children returning home to eat. However, due to a rise in the number of mothers in work, primary schools are increasingly offering pre-lesson and afternoon care.

[[File:Wien - Universität (3).JPG|thumb|The [[University of Vienna]]]]
[[File:Wien 02 Campus WU a.jpg|thumb| The campus of the [[Vienna University of Economics and Business]]]]

Secondary education consists of two main types of schools, attendance at which is based on a pupil's ability as determined by grades from the primary school. The [[Gymnasium (school)|''Gymnasium'']] caters for the more able children, in the final year of which the [[Matura]] examination is taken, which is a requirement for access to university. The [[Hauptschule]] prepares pupils for vocational education but also for various types of further education ([[Höhere Technische Lehranstalt]] HTL = institution of higher technical education; HAK = commercial academy; HBLA = institution of higher education for economic business; etc.). Attendance at one of these further education institutes also leads to the [[Matura]]. Some schools aim to combine the education available at the Gymnasium and the Hauptschule, and are known as ''Gesamtschulen''. In addition, a recognition of the importance of learning English has led some Gymnasiums to offer a bilingual stream, in which pupils deemed able in languages follow a modified curriculum, a portion of the lesson time being conducted in English.

As at primary school, lessons at Gymnasium begin at 8&nbsp;am and continue with short intervals until lunchtime or early afternoon, with children returning home to a late lunch. Older pupils often attend further lessons after a break for lunch, generally eaten at school. As at primary level, all pupils follow the same plan of work. Great emphasis is placed on homework and frequent testing. Satisfactory marks in the end-of-the-year report ("Zeugnis") are a prerequisite for moving up ("aufsteigen") to the next class. Pupils who do not meet the required standard re-sit their tests at the end of the summer holidays; those whose marks are still not satisfactory are required to re-sit the year ("sitzenbleiben").

It is not uncommon for a pupil to re-sit more than one year of school. After completing the first two years, pupils choose between one of two strands, known as "Gymnasium" (slightly more emphasis on arts) or "Realgymnasium" (slightly more emphasis on science). Whilst many schools offer both strands, some do not, and as a result, some children move schools for a second time at age 12. At age 14, pupils may choose to remain in one of these two strands, or to change to a vocational course, possibly with a further change of school.
[[File:Vorplatz JKU Bibliothek.jpg|thumb|The campus of [[Johannes Kepler University Linz|JKU]] University of [[Linz]]]]
The Austrian university system had been open to any student who passed the [[Matura]] examination until recently. A 2006 bill allowed the introduction of entrance exams for studies such as Medicine. In 2001, an obligatory tuition fee ("''Studienbeitrag''") of €363.36 per term was introduced for all public universities. Since 2008, for all EU students the studies have been free of charge, as long as a certain time-limit is not exceeded (the expected duration of the study plus usually two terms tolerance).<ref name="Tuition">{{Cite web |date=1 January 2009 |title=Studying in Austria: Tuition Fee |url=http://www.help.gv.at/Content.Node/148/Seite.1480000.html#tuition |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501221940/http://www.help.gv.at/Content.Node/148/Seite.1480000.html#tuition |archive-date=1 May 2009 |access-date=18 June 2009 |website=Help.gv.at }}</ref> When the time-limit is exceeded, the fee of around €363.36 per term is charged. Some further exceptions to the fee apply, e.g. for students with a year's salary of more than about €5000. In all cases, an obligatory fee of €20.20 is charged for the student union and insurance.<ref>{{Cite web |title=HÖHE DES ÖH-BEITRAGES? |url=https://www.oeh.ac.at/service/oeh-beitrag |access-date=3 March 2020 |website=www.oeh.ac.at |language=de |archive-date=3 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303080024/https://www.oeh.ac.at/service/oeh-beitrag |url-status=live }}</ref>