Vienna expands school capacity and introduces new educational measures

Vienna is launching a new academic period with approximately 19,000 first-grade students entering the school system. To accommodate population growth, the city plans to expand infrastructure by adding 60 new classrooms and 20 new kindergarten groups, including the expansion of eight existing schools.

New measures are being introduced to address extreme heat in classrooms, such as facilitating the use of mobile air conditioning, fans, and improved ventilation techniques like night cooling. Additionally, under the ‘Chancenbonus’ program, 227 schools in Vienna will receive additional staff to support disadvantaged students.

A new mandatory follow-up system will also be implemented for students facing suspensions of four days or longer. These students will receive learning packages and psychosocial support twice a week to prevent them from falling out of the educational system.

Regarding the 2026/27 academic calendar, the school year is scheduled to run from September 7, 2026, to July 2, 2027. Key holiday periods include an autumn break in late October, Christmas holidays from December 24 to January 6, and Easter holidays in March. The standardized Matura exams for high school graduates are set to take place in May 2027, covering subjects such as German, Mathematics, English, and various minority languages.