Austria’s embattled finance ministry has been dragged into a new scandal after it emerged that at the same time as demanding schools save 57 Millionen Euros in the coming year, they were also expected to find an additional 3 million to buy an approved set of weighing scales. The scales are not just any weighing […]
Tag: schools
Kids taught luck in schools
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An Austrian pilot project to teach “luck” to students in classes in the southern province of Styria is now to be expanded across the country after it was hailed as a success in making kids happier and feeling better about themselves. Teachers are already starting to get training in how to teach the lessons in […]
By Rob Hyde Schools in Vienna are to benefit from a 30 million Euro project to upgrade their existing computers. The scheme, titled “Vienna education network”, aims to ensure that by 2015 around 16,000 PCs will be using the latest operating systems. Whilst the capital city’s schools are generally using Windows XP as their operating […]
Daily PE lesson: no new gyms planned
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A daily physical education lesson will be introduced to Austrian full-time schools in autumn. However, additional gyms will not be built. City councillor Christian Oxonitsch (SPÖ) said that a renovation would be enough. “We guarantee a minimum of five hours of movement and sport per week for all classes in full-time schools”, said Claudia Schmied […]
Internet bullying on the rise
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Cyber bullying (bullying on the Internet) is becoming more common among children and teenagers. Some comments or photos are humiliating and offensive and have severe consequences. According to surveys, every fifth student between the age of 14 and 19 has been a victim of cyber bullying. However, the estimated number of unknown cases is even […]
Sixth-formers at the private mechanical and electronic technical college in Lienz in Tirol have been building solar panels in Tanzania since 2006. They have also been travelling to the country to teach locals how to operate the solar installations in schools and hospitals – such as the one built in partnership with the organisation Life […]
Several schools in Vienna are currently considering whether they can ban mobile phones. Phones often disturb the lessons and students also use their smartphones in the breaks. The school board of the city opposes a complete ban. International studies show that nine out of ten teenagers have a mobile phone and half of them have […]
The Austrian project for a central matura – the equivalent of the A-Level exams – is being piloted in professional colleges this year. The controversial measure is an attempt to provide all pupils taking their final exams with the same paper. They are then marked according to fixed corrections. However, it has proven more difficult […]
The President of the Vienna School Board, Susanne Brandsteidl, believes the intended introduction of daily gym lessons for full time schools is a positive thing. However, the discussion is still continuing on the issue of financial resources for teachers and gym halls. Around 32,000 children and young people will be affected by the introduction of […]
Austrian youngsters are only getting about 50% of the daily exercise that they need according to experts. And the lack of physical effort is leading to overweight and other problems including diabetes. That was the result of the study which was presented this week in Salzburg which also urged more sport in school to correct […]