Vienna Schools: New Education Director Fuchs Wants to Use Resources More Efficiently

The schools are doing great work under sometimes adverse conditions. However, it is also clear: "There is always room for improvement." Fuchs plans, among other things, measures against teacher shortages, a focus on reading promotion, and more efficient use of resources.

Her vision is fair educational opportunities so that all young people in Vienna can realise their potential. "This requires resources, we have many of them in Vienna. But it will also be about using them well and efficiently," says Fuchs, who takes office on February 1. Some projects initiated a few years ago would have worked well under different conditions. However, it is important that every school has a good basic equipment to be able to work well. This could perhaps result in "shifts here or there or a more efficient distribution". Fuchs, however, wants to decide on the details only after she has obtained an overview of existing projects, their costs and successes from the responsible departments. "But I'm not about to cut anything immediately," Fuchs emphasised. "It's about looking at efficiency."

Vienna Schools: Teacher Shortage as a Major Challenge

According to Fuchs, one of the biggest challenges facing Vienna's schools - as in other federal states, she emphasises - is the lack of teaching staff. One of her goals is to make work more attractive for teachers, especially in primary schools. We are already on the right track, the number of students starting their studies has already increased. Now we need to provide more support for new educators as they start their careers, so they don't feel overwhelmed. The induction phase prescribed by the Ministry of Education "is not enough". In her view, a different image of school in the public eye is also needed. "If you only portray school negatively, you shouldn't be surprised if no one wants to work there."

Another focus will be on the areas of reading promotion, language, and finding one's way in a digitised world with all its manifestations including artificial intelligence and social media. "The big challenge for teachers in the future will be to equip young people and children to find their way in this world - i.e. the ability to question information, to reflect, to compare with each other, to draw on sources and to think about it."

Starting Situation in Vienna is More Difficult Than in Other Federal States

The starting situation in Vienna is more difficult than in other federal states, Fuchs admits. In addition to the usual influx into a big city, in recent years there has been the refugee crisis, children and young people who have fled from Ukraine, and family reunification. Nevertheless, the schools, together with the pedagogical universities (PH) responsible for teacher training, or the adult education centres and other organisers with learning support, are doing a good job.

With the number of school locations, Vienna, whose population is steadily growing, is "doing well from today's perspective" according to Fuchs' assessment - even though more mobile classrooms had to be set up in the current school year. "Of course, it varies regionally." School buildings are planned ten years in advance and naturally, the 4,000 children and young people who fled to Vienna from Ukraine before the war were not included.

(APA/Red)

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