European schools face discipline and staffing challenges for new academic year

school year start teacher shortage student suspensions educational reform school discipline

As the 2026/27 school year begins across parts of Europe, educational authorities in Austria and Germany are addressing diverse challenges ranging from discipline to staffing shortages.

In Austria, student suspensions have risen, with 2,440 cases recorded in the 2025/26 academic year. Vorarlberg saw a 46% increase in suspensions, and a new mandatory support program will be introduced for students suspended for four days or longer. Meanwhile, Vienna is launching its 2026 summer school program for approximately 15,900 students, with participation becoming mandatory for certain students with insufficient grades.

In Germany, Brandenburg is facing a difficult year due to a significant teacher shortage, with 313 full-time positions remaining unfilled despite high enrollment numbers. Education Minister Gordon Hoffmann noted that while graduation remains guaranteed, schools may need to reduce extracurricular or support hours to manage the load. In Hamburg, school enrollment has reached a 45-year high, with nearly 92% of primary students participating in all-day care. Other regional updates include educational reforms in Lower Saxony to increase flexibility in high school profiles and new extremism prevention measures in Saxony.

Entities

Austria · Austrian Ministry of Education · Brandenburg · Christoph Wiederkehr · Elisabeth Fuchs · Germany · Gordon Hoffmann · Ksenija Bekeris · Ministry of Education · Styria · Vienna · Vorarlberg

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] The Ministry of Education reported 2,440 student suspensions for the 2025/26 school year. kurier.at
[● 3 SOURCES] Vienna recorded the highest number of suspensions both in absolute terms and as a proportion of the student population. www.news.at · kurier.at
[● 3 SOURCES] Special education schools have the highest proportional suspension rate at 17.5 per mille. www.news.at · kurier.at
[● 2 SOURCES] Student suspensions increased from 2,187 in the previous school year to 2,440 in 2025/26. kurier.at
[○ 1 SOURCE] Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr stated that the current figures should not be sugarcoated. www.news.at
[● 3 SOURCES] Suspensions in Styria more than doubled from 100 to 231 compared to the previous year. www.news.at · kurier.at
[● 3 SOURCES] Students can be suspended for up to four weeks for repeated offenses such as violence, threats, or property damage. www.news.at · kurier.at
[● 2 SOURCES] Starting in autumn, affected students will receive mandatory suspension support consisting of lessons and reintegration measures. kurier.at