Fight for better education in Vöcklabruck: Parents and Mayors raise the alarm!

Fight for better education in Vöcklabruck: Parents and Mayors raise the alarm!

Vöcklabruck, Österreich - The school location Vöcklabruck faces massive challenges! A shock for many parents: Mayor Peter Schobesberger only learns at the parents' evening that there are inadequate offers for children with special needs such as the 16-year-old Elias, who is supposed to leave school in July. A affected mother, Ursula Fehringer, describes her worries: "The first thought was immediately, how do I tell my child?" It is not just about the school place, but about the future of young people with impairments that are urgently dependent on integrative educational measures, orf.at .

Schobesberger urges changes. The school in Vöcklabruck is to be increased and expanded by six classes, but the plans have been with the state of Upper Austria for months. "We have nothing to give away," he said, pointing out the dramatically increasing need for special educational support. Out of 300 applications in 2017, the number rose to over 600. Nevertheless, the city alone feels relaxed in the fight for integrative school places, which, according to Schobesberger, is not sufficiently supported and financially supported. "We still have one of the last special schools that can offer the 11th and 12th school year," added the mayor.

digital education as an opportunity

The focus on education is also shared by other actors in Upper Austria. The young mayor Fabian Grüneis from Waizenkirchen emphasizes the importance of digitization. "Digitization is an inevitable necessity to prepare youth for the future," he said. According to Grüneis, schools in his community already offer good digital offers, but he sees a decisive factor in the infrastructure of the schools in order to be able to switch to digital teaching quickly if necessary. "If I have to buy the entire equipment first, I am clearly a disadvantage," warns the 24-year-old. The further training and a flexible digital learning environment will be decisive for the formation of future generations, according to Schule.at .