Indicator history

This diagnosis is also supported by the findings of a study carried out on behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture in 2007. The proportion of students dropping out from the school system who are Austrian citizens and whose first language is German is 7.2%. The dropout rate of students of the so-called 2nd or 3rd generation of migrants and whose first language is not German is 15.6% and of those without EU-citizenship amounts to 29.8%. However there is no data available segregated according to the national or ethnic origin of the students.

According to the report migration & integration published by Statistik Austria children with migration background were less likely to attend nursury school, preschool or kindergarden. In 2009, 39% of 2-year old children with Austrian citizenship attended nursery school compared to 35% of 2-year old children with migration background. However, the relation is reversed concerning children of school age. There are more Austrian children between the age of 6 to 11 who attend a child care center than children from immigrants.

In school year 2009/10 about 9% of all students didn't have Austrian citizenship. In schools for special education the proportion of non-Austrian students was twice as high (18%). Most of the latter are students from the former Yugoslavia (without Slovenia) and Turkey. 11.1% of students attending elementary school had a foreign citizenship (2.8% EU, EEA or Switzerland; 4.0% former Yugoslavia (without Slovenia); 2.1% Turkey and 2.3% other countries). 12.6% of students attending secondary modern school were non-Austrian citizens (2.1% EU, EEA or Switzerland; 5.1% former Yugoslavia (without Slovenia); 2.9% Turkey and 2.5% from other countries). The proportion of foreign students in upper secondary edcuation is below average (6.8 per cent in general upper secondary schools [AHS] and 5.6 per cent in vocational upper secondary schools [BHS]). Especially in the AHS students with a citizenship of EU or EEA-countries or Switzerland (3.2%) are outnumbering those from the former Yugoslavia (2%) or Turkey (1.2%). The relation is reversed in vocational upper secondary schools. In 2009/10 there were 1.7% students from EU, EEA-countries and Switzerland, 2.6% students from the former Yugoslavia (without Slovenia), 0.5% of students from Turkey and 0.8% students from other countries.

In the winter term 2009/10 the proportion of foreign students at Austrian universities was 17%. 35% were from Germany, 13% from Italy, 22% from other EU and EEA-countries including Switzerland, 11% from the former Yugoslavia, 5% from Turkey, 3% from other European countries and 11% from non-European countries.

Source: Steiner, M./Wagner, E. (2007) Dropoutstrategie, Grundlagen zur Prävention und Reintegration von Dropouts in Ausbildung und Beschäftigung, Studie im Auftrag des Bundesministeriums für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur, November 2007, available at: http://www.bmukk.gv.at/medienpool/16245/do_strategie_endbericht.pdf; http://www.bmi.gv.at/cms/BMI_Service/STS/Web_Jahrbuch_72dpi.pdf