Initially, 11 orientation classes at schools nationwide
From the orientation class, students usually move on to the German support class ©APA/THEMENBILD
Since the new school year, so-called orientation classes have been available nationwide. These classes are designed to prepare newly arrived children and young people with little or no prior experience with educational institutions for attending school in Austria. Because family reunification has been suspended since July, this new offering remains the exception for the time being: only eleven orientation classes have been established nationwide, eight in Vienna and three in Vorarlberg.
The orientation class model was created after thousands of children and young people, primarily from Syria, came to local schools for months starting in early 2023 as a result of family reunification, the majority of them in Vienna. Many had previously lived in refugee camps in places like Turkey for years and had no prior school experience. Therefore, the first orientation classes were established in the federal capital in spring 2024, followed by Vorarlberg in the fall. Starting this school year, the model was expanded to all federal states under Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS), who previously served as Vienna's City Councillor for Education.
Most from Arabic-speaking countries
The fact that there are currently hardly any orientation classes in practice is due to the suspension of family reunification. This is currently only possible in hardship cases, and other immigrant children without previous school experience could also be considered for this program. If Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) has his way, family reunification will be virtually nonexistent even after the end of this year.
The orientation classes are designed for children and adolescents who not only need support in German, but also have difficulties with basic age-appropriate skills (recognition of characters and symbols, motor skills, social behavior, understanding social norms). For up to one semester, these separate classes will teach them the values and basic rules of social coexistence in Austria, as well as the fundamental skills they will need for starting school. The goal is for the students to be able to transition to a German support class or regular class as quickly as possible.
In Vienna, a total of 55 students are currently enrolled in orientation classes. All are still of compulsory school age, and the majority come from Arabic-speaking countries. In Vorarlberg, 35 children from grades 1 to 9 are being taught in an orientation class. Most come from Syria and Afghanistan; all are classified as exceptional students due to poor German skills, are illiterate, and have never attended school before.
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