Austria reforms secondary teacher training programs

Austria is reforming the training process for secondary school teachers to make it more practical and concise. Starting with the academic year in October, the program will be restructured to address criticisms that previous models were too long and overly theoretical.

Beginning in the 2026/27 academic year, the training will follow the international Bologna standard, consisting of a three-year Bachelor’s degree and a two-year Master’s degree. This aligns the duration of secondary teacher training with that of primary school teacher training. To facilitate this shorter duration, hours dedicated to educational science fundamentals will be significantly reduced.

The reform introduces stricter content requirements for the four regional training associations comprising universities and pedagogical universities. New mandatory focuses include inclusive pedagogy, German as a second language, linguistic education, gender competence, and the use of digital media. Additionally, curricula must address linguistic, cultural, and religious diversity. The North-East association, which includes the University of Vienna, has integrated these practical cross-sectional topics—such as crisis competence and AI—into a new “School Competence Field.”