Austria eyes massive expansion of full-day schools with new support roles

Austria's Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr anticipates a "massive expansion" of full-day schooling through the introduction of a new "support pedagogue" category. This initiative is part of a broader "reform partnership" designed to streamline the complex school administration system, which currently involves multiple service providers for a single classroom.

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massive expansion

The reform will centralize personnel management. Federal and state education directorates will become responsible for all school staff. The federal government will retain control over pedagogical direction, funding, and specialist recruitment, while states will manage personnel for primary and secondary schools, and the federal government for academic and vocational schools. This division aims to clarify responsibilities.

School leaders will gain more autonomy in selecting personnel across four new categories: "Leadership Team," "Teaching and Pedagogy" (including the new support roles), "Supportive Professions" (like school psychology and social work), and "Flex" for specialized expertise. The "support pedagogue" role is crucial for expanding full-day programs, as it allows for staff to assist with various school activities beyond just leisure time.

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bereinigt

Wiederkehr highlighted that a previous attempt to introduce a similar role for leisure pedagogues faced union resistance. This new approach aims to overcome those hurdles and strengthen full-day schooling, which has been limited by difficulties in finding part-time staff, particularly in rural areas. The reform also seeks to make school clusters, where multiple schools share administration and staff, more attractive.

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This was previously the limiting factor