School start in 2025: Vienna is fighting a shortage of teachers and the language crisis!

School start in 2025: Vienna is fighting a shortage of teachers and the language crisis!

The new school year in Vienna starts on September 1, 2025 and brings with it the usual challenges in the education sector. Bettina Emmerling from the Neos, city councilor for education, youth and integration since March 3, 2025, announces that the lack of educators and the high number of children who do not speak German sufficiently must be urgently addressed. In order to address this situation, compulsory summer German courses for new students are being introduced. Around 20,000 extraordinary students have to take part, and around 1,000 classes are needed to accommodate the children - with an average class size of 20.

The framework conditions for these new German schools are to be determined in the Council of Ministers in the fall. Another central topic is the psychosocial concerns of older children and young people. From autumn 2025, 40 school nurses will be deployed to Viennese schools to provide support. At the same time, the “Vienna Educational Opportunities” program was launched, which offers free workshops for the classes. Emmerling also envisages that all school-age children will receive free lunch in the future - although the financing for this remains unclear.

Psychosocial challenges and teacher shortages

The psychosocial health of students is perceived by many experts as an urgent issue. The corona pandemic has revealed that everyday school life is very stressful for teachers. This is shown by a study from the time that many teachers experienced as more stressful than before. Around 90 percent of the teachers surveyed reported increased stress. The stresses, which have been exacerbated by Corona protective measures, a lack of staff and large class sizes, have meant that the shortage of teachers in Austria is becoming more and more urgent.

The publication of the National Education Report 2024 has revealed an alarming situation: social inequalities, a lack of digital strategies and insufficient resources mean that students from disadvantaged backgrounds in particular are struggling. Even career changers, who make up around 10 percent of new teachers, were unable to adequately close these gaps.

The role of social media and digital education

Another point raised by Emmerling and many educators is the influence of social media. These platforms are increasingly seen as a problem because they promote the glorification of violence and radicalization. At the same time, teachers criticize the slow digitization of the Austrian education system. There is also hesitation in the use of artificial intelligence in teaching - teachers often feel inadequately prepared for it.

The need for change and support in education is evident. The coming months will show whether the implementation of the City of Vienna's new concepts and initiatives will actually lead to an improvement in the situation for students and teachers. One thing is certain: the education sector urgently needs to show good skills in order to meet the diverse challenges.

The future of our schools is at stake, and these challenges will require all stakeholders to work together on solutions that include not only short-term measures, but also long-term improvements and a more equitable distribution of resources.

For detailed information on these topics, you can view the reports at the following links: My district, bpb and Cosmo.