School starts with stable student numbers: Güssing remains constant!

School starts with stable student numbers: Güssing remains constant!

The start of school in the Güssing and Jennersdorf districts is just around the corner, and with it the number of students, which has hardly changed compared to the previous year. Starting next week, a total of 2,788 children will attend compulsory schools, with the distribution as follows: 1,418 in elementary school, 1,257 in middle school, 56 in polytechnic school and 57 in special school. This information has meinkreis.at compiled.

A positive trend is emerging in the Güssing district: registrations for elementary schools are the same as in the 2020/21 school year at 210 children. This is probably also due to the fact that compulsory school inspector Gerlinde Potetz has predicted an increase in the number of people starting school before school starts. She attributes this to the flexibility of many families and the effects of rural exodus, an issue that is becoming increasingly important in connection with school development. bvz.at points out that middle and high schools are also benefiting from this increase.

Changes and challenges in schools

The number of school classes remains the same in the districts with a total of 88, but there have been some changes: two special school classes were eliminated, while a polytechnic and a middle school class were added. What is particularly noticeable is the closure of two elementary schools in Limbach and Moschendorf, which are no longer being continued due to a lack of students. The children from Limbach will in future attend the elementary school in Kukmirn, while the Moschendorfers will have to go to Eberau meinkreis.at reported.

In addition, the branch of the Stegersbach special school in Neudauberg was closed after the orphanage for Ukrainian refugee children was closed. Such changes also raise the question of the quality of care, which is addressed in the current education report “Education in Numbers”. The challenges of the Austrian education system are highlighted here, especially in elementary education. The report, published in May 2022, makes it clear that Austria has been missing the EU's childcare targets for childcare for over a decade. Only around a quarter of 0-2 year olds are currently in care. kost-burgenland.at highlights the need to pay more attention to elementary education.

Early childhood care plays a crucial role, particularly in the context of social inequality. The higher the parents' educational qualifications, the better the children's educational opportunities, which has become a major issue of educational justice in recent years.

New management team in the primary schools

Changes in school management have also been reported in primary schools. Sabine Unger will now be responsible in Tschantschendorf; she was previously director in Güssing. Sonja Hoffmann will also run the Inzenhof elementary school in the future, while Nadja Schmidt will take over the management in Güttenbach. These personnel changes could bring a breath of fresh air into schools and further improve the quality of education.

In summary, it can be said that starting school in Güssing and Jennersdorf brings with it many challenges, but also opportunities. The cross-border trends and changes in the number of registrations show that education in the region continues to be an important topic that concerns families and responsible actors alike.