Austria is rolling out a one-semester orientation program to help newly arrived Syrian children adapt to the school system, equipping them with basic German, classroom skills, and social values before transitioning into regular education.
Faced with an unprecedented surge in school-aged asylum seekers, Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS) announced the initiative, emphasizing its role in easing integration. However, Austria’s opposition Freedom Party (FPÖ) argues the measure only addresses the symptoms of mass immigration rather than tackling the root causes.
Between 2023 and 2024, Austria received a record-breaking 22,266 asylum applications from school-age children, mostly from Syria. Of these, 18,062 were granted asylum, straining the education system. On average, 174 new students—equivalent to eight full classrooms—enter Austrian schools each week, with family reunification driving the numbers. Many of these children have never attended school, having spent years in refugee camps in Turkey or Lebanon.
Teachers, particularly in urban areas, are overwhelmed. In Vienna alone, 4,000 additional primary school students joined in 2022/23, forcing schools to open new classes and pushing educators to their limits. To address the broader asylum crisis, the government recently proposed a temporary “zero quota” on family reunifications, though critics doubt its effectiveness.
To ease the burden on schools, the new orientation courses will focus on equipping migrant children with essential skills. Many arrive without any German proficiency or even basic literacy and numeracy. Some have never used a pen, followed classroom rules, or interacted with female teachers in a structured environment.
During the semester-long orientation, students will learn fundamental language skills, basic classroom etiquette, and social values like respect and equality. After this phase, they’ll either enter regular classes or continue in German remedial courses, depending on their progress.
“This introduces children with no school experience to learning,” Wiederkehr explained. “Without this, teaching German would be nearly impossible for those who’ve never even sat in a classroom before.”
By preparing students before full integration, Austria hopes to relieve pressure on both regular and remedial classes while giving migrant children a stronger foundation for success.
