“We are stuck in this educational policy vale of tears!”
Vienna (OTS) – The latest PISA study proves it: Austria is once again one of those OECD countries in which the socio-economic background of parents has a greater influence on young people’s performance than on average in other OECD countries.
Those students from the district with the highest socioeconomic status achieved significantly better results in math than those from the lowest district. In Austria, this difference has even increased compared to the last PISA study. 20 percent of the differences among Austrian students in mathematics can be explained by their socio-economic background; the OECD average is 15 percent.
What is particularly alarming is that the performance of the students with the most unfavorable conditions fell further behind, while that of the others improved. “The educational gap in Austria continues to widen,” warns Erich Fenninger, director of Volkshilfe Austria.
Child poverty costs billions and children’s future
“The Austrian school system lacks justice and we are presented with the bill for party-political dithering every year,” said Fenninger. He doesn’t just mean the PISA results, but also refers to a recently published OECD study that showed explosive results. The consequences of child poverty cost Austrian society 17.2 billion euros. “Child poverty costs children a self-determined future and costs us all billions of euros. Where could Austria be if we finally abolish child poverty.”
But the insights from the PISA study are not new. “We are stuck in this educational policy vale. We need a school without backpacks and fear. We need a school for children’s rights that focuses on the strengths of every child. A school that compensates for unequal starting conditions instead of deepening them. This is the only way we can do justice to all children and at the same time progress as an economy,” appeals Ewald Sacher, President of Volkshilfe Austria.
Questions & Contact:
Ruth Schink
+43 (0) 676 83 402 222
ruth.schink@volkshilfe.at
www.volkshilfe.at