Austria and Germany introduce measures to combat school violence and religious conflicts

Authorities in Austria and Germany are introducing new measures to address violence, bullying, and religious conflicts within schools.

In Austria, Integration Minister Claudia Bauer announced that teachers will receive specialized training and support to manage religiously motivated conflicts and peer pressure. Following reports of students pressuring liberal Muslim peers and instances of students requesting poor grades to remain in school, the Integration Fund has been tasked with creating workshops and seminars. These resources, including online guidelines, are intended for nationwide implementation to address issues such as problematic gender roles and religious pressure.

In Berlin, Education Senator Katharina Günther-Wünsch has proposed a 13-point plan to create safer school environments. The plan aims to standardize responses to violence and rule violations across the city through a uniform catalog of measures. Proposed actions include mandatory anti-violence training, standardized fines for truancy, and the establishment of a new facility for children and adolescents posing a risk of self-harm or harm to others. The initiative seeks to ensure that disciplinary actions are consistent rather than varying by individual school.