Education
The Future of the city begins in kindergarten
It lays the foundation for one’s educational journey and provides the optimal environment for children to discover and further develop their abilities through play. In group settings, the youngest members of our society can actively explore and help shape their world, try out new things, ask questions, express their creativity, and much more. Skilled educators and experienced support staff guide the children and create a learning environment that fosters motor, emotional, cognitive, and social development.
Best opportunities for a good start into life for all children
Kindergarten lays the groundwork for lifelong learning, critical thinking, and social competence. It makes a vital contribution to children's development and, by extension, to our society and our shared future life in the city. In Vienna, every child should have the best possible start to their educational journey. Kindergarten – as the first key building block in the multi-tiered education system – plays a particularly important role in this. Therefore, attendance at a municipal kindergarten or a subsidized private early childhood education institution in Vienna is free of charge or significantly reduced in cost for all children until they reach compulsory school age. The goal: to promote education for all children in Vienna and to strengthen the compatibility of work and family life for parents and legal guardians. Around one-third of kindergarten places in Vienna are offered directly by the City of Vienna, while the remaining two-thirds are provided by private educational institutions.
Vienna’s kindergartens as places, where diversity, appreciation and equal opportunities are highly regarded
Special emphasis is placed in Vienna on ensuring that kindergartens and after-school care centers are places where early childhood educators create environments that promote development and where every child can learn in a playful way. In line with the Vienna Education Plan, kindergarten-aged children in Vienna should take their first steps in education in an environment that upholds diversity, appreciation, and equal opportunities. The qualified staff in Vienna’s municipal kindergartens and after-school centers see themselves as experts when it comes to the well-being and education of the children entrusted to them. The City of Vienna – Kindergartens relies on close, trust-based cooperation with families. The central goal is to provide all children with the best possible educational opportunities from the very beginning.
Vienna’s Kindergartens as places, where educational content is delivered in age-appropriate manners
In Vienna’s kindergartens, educational content is made age-appropriate and tangible: Through play, exploration, discovery, reflection, creativity, and observation, young children learn in a variety of ways. Contemporary pedagogy is guided by scientific insights. Key focus areas include the development of language, mathematical, and scientific skills. Acquiring and improving strong German language skills is a high priority in Vienna. At the same time, early foreign language education is integrated into children’s daily routines – for example, through singing songs in English, using English picture books, or playing together while educators speak English. In addition, children are supported in their motor and psychosocial development. In Vienna’s municipal kindergartens, learning is joyful, always playful, and takes place in a community setting. These essential principles and the underlying educational philosophy are also reflected in the mission statement of the municipal kindergartens and after-school centers.
All-day kindergartens to ensure work-and-family-balance in Vienna
High-quality food and drink are essential components of healthy development and well-being. That’s why the share of organic ingredients in the lunch meals served in Vienna’s kindergartens is no less than 60%. Children also learn about the importance of local food products – for example, almost 100% of the fresh meat, milk, and free-range eggs used in Vienna’s kindergartens are natural products of Austria. To support working parents regardless of their financial background and to ensure work-family balance, all 350 of Vienna’s municipal kindergartens are open all day and are free of charge.
Vienna as a pioneer in all-day schools and the Viennese Campus Model
In Vienna’s schools, modern teaching and learning practices are supported by up-to-date educational infrastructure. Only with this combination can optimal conditions be provided for every curious child’s educational journey – a core goal pursued by the City of Vienna across all types of schools. To reflect the everyday realities of most parents, Vienna is committed to being a leader in offering free, full-day care for the approximately 245,000 schoolchildren in the city. A key part of this modern educational infrastructure is the Vienna Education Campus Model. This model not only enables cross-age learning with and from one another, but also integrates learning units and leisure activities in a fluid way. Furthermore, the co-location of kindergarten, school, and leisure education at a single site allows children to complete their educational journey in a familiar setting. The architectural concept behind the campus model also enables optimal use of available space. A core aspect of the model is encouraging children to interact with peers who are both older and younger than themselves. In addition to a strong focus on green spaces and ample outdoor areas for movement and sports, the campus model also emphasizes the use of sustainable building materials and green energy.
Digital education becoming increasingly important
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that digital education is becoming increasingly important. Vienna responded early to the new requirements for school operations: In Vienna’s schools, not only is the acquisition of digital knowledge among students promoted to help Vienna’s youth in becoming ready for the future's changing job market, but Vienna’s schools are also supported by the City of Vienna in acquiring the necessary devices and digitalization efforts, that are needed for a modern up-to-date digital education.
In Vienna, no one is getting left behind
The belief, that education creates opportunities is deeply rooted in Vienna’s educational system. Therefore, the City of Vienna offers all Viennese students, who happen to have occasional learning deficits, and who are attending primary school, middle school, or lower secondary school (AHS), usually aged between 6 and 14, free tutoring during the summer months, because in Vienna, it’s believed that everyone should be offered the best educational opportunities, and education should not depend on the parents’ background but should be accessible to everyone. Moreover, the so-called VHS Learning Stations offer weekly support during the school year, where students can get help with current studying material, homework, or preparing for upcoming exams. However, the City of Vienna does not only invest in educational offerings that benefit the youngest members of our society but also pursues the approach that it is never too late to continue learning. Projects aimed at preventing school dropouts and catching up on compulsory education, as well as funding for adult education, along with German courses and basic education courses for new immigrants, ensure that no one in Vienna should feel left behind.
Apprenticeship training is a priority in Vienna
In Vienna, more than 17,000 apprentices are trained in around 3,500 companies, with 500 apprentices being trained directly by the City of Vienna, which itself is an international top figure. But Vienna is not just about boostering apprenticeships: The Vienna Adult Education Centers (Volkshochschulen), comparable to munically subsidized communiy colleges make up the largest adult education institution in the German-speaking world, where more than 120,000 course participants continue their education each year at 33 locations and 7 specialized institutions.
Leisure and holiday activities for Vienna’s children
The City of Vienna offers a wide range of leisure and holiday programs for children and young people during the summer months, allowing parents not to worry about where their children can receive high-quality care during the summer. The leisure and holiday programs offered by the City of Vienna range from summer and sports camps for children aged 6 and older to the so-called “Holiday Play” (Ferienspiel), which offers children and young people new, varied supervised activities every day during school break, to Vienna’s park supervision program, where children between 6 and 13 years old are provided with games, crafting materials, and sports equipment for their leisure activities free of charge. But that’s not all: To allow families with low incomes to go on vacation, the City of Vienna maintains a subsidy program for children and families.
Vienna’s Libraries as a key to education for everyone
Libraries are not only places of learning, encounters, and communication; they also provide access to information, education, culture, and entertainment. All of this should be accessible to everyone, regardless of financial means. To meet this demand, the City of Vienna operates the Vienna Libraries as one of the city’s central cultural and educational institutions: more than 1.4 million media at 39 locations throughout the city invite you to learn, work, relax, communicate with each other and linger, thus contributing to the personal development of all users and ensuring everyone’s participation in social life.
Further information on education in Vienna can be found at:
City of Vienna - Education. List of all institutions and activities to acquire knowledge and skill at all ages. https://www.wien.gv.at/sozialinfo/content/en/10/DirectoryDetail.do?liid=8
City of Vienna - Education & Research https://www.wien.gv.at/english/education-research/
City of Vienna - The School System in Vienna. https://www.wien.gv.at/english/education/sulsystem.htm
City of Vienna - Libraries in Vienna. https://www.wien.gv.at/english/education-research/libraries/index.html
City of Vienna - Holidays for families. https://www.wien.gv.at/sozialinfo/content/en/10/SearchResults.do?keyword=Holidays+for+families
City of Vienna - Holidays for young persons. https://www.wien.gv.at/sozialinfo/content/en/10/SearchResults.do?keyword=Holidays+for+young+persons
Smrta City Vienna. Viennese Campus Model. https://smartcity.wien.gv.at/en/viennese-campus-model/
Smart City Vienna. Fit for the future through digital education. https://smartcity.wien.gv.at/en/digital-school/
City of Vienna - German language and basic education courses https://www.wien.gv.at/english/social/integration/learning-german/
City of Vienna - German language courses and tutoring for children https://www.wien.gv.at/english/social/integration/learning-german/children.html