Indicator history

According to the Annual Statistics Year Book 2011, migrants have a significantly different educational profile compared to persons without a migrant background: they are overrepresented in the highest and lowest levels of education, whereas persons without a migrant background dominate in the medium level of education. In the last decades, an overall increase in the educational level of Austria’s population could be observed. Concerning the population with a migrant background, the statistical increase in their educational level between 1991 and 2010 can mainly be traced back to the immigration of highly qualified persons from EU Member States. 

In 2010, 20.6 per cent of persons with a migrant background have obtained a university, college or academic degree in comparison to only 14 per cent without a migrant background. Nevertheless, it is mainly persons from the EU, EEA and Switzerland (26.3 per cent) as well as persons from other countries (38.7 per cent) who make up this relatively high figure. Only very few migrants from former Yugoslavia (Slovenia excluded) (5.7 per cent) and Turkey (3.5 per cent) have obtained a university degree. Yet, especially persons from former Yugoslavia and Turkey are overrepresented at the lowest educational level. In 2010, the proportion of people with a migrant background having only attended compulsory school was – with 30.1 per cent – twice as high as the proportion of persons without a migrant background. Among those, migrants from former Yugoslavia (Slovenia excluded) (37.4 per cent) and Turkey (66 per cent) predominated. The percentage of children with migrant background is also extremely high in special needs schools. Children who use another every-day language than German at the time of school enrolment or are of non-Austrian nationality are often forced to start in a special needs school instead of a regular elementary school.    

Given the fact that children with a migrant background are still disadvantaged in the educational system, ECRI recommends Austria to sign and ratify the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education. Furthermore, ECRI points out that one of the main causes for the discrimination of children with a migrant background – the early segregation of pupils into vocational schools/high schools and secondary schools – has still not been tackled. Because of this early segregation, children with a migrant background and socio-economically disadvantaged children (which often applies to migrants) are restricted in their access to higher education. 

Source:

• http://www.bmi.gv.at/cms/BMI_Service/STS/Web_Jahrbuch_72dpi.pdf 
• http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/ecri/Country-by-country/Austria/AUT-CbC-IV-2010-002-ENG.pdf
   

According to the Annual Statistics Year Book 2011 and the Annual Statistics Year Book 2012, migrants have a significantly different educational profile compared to persons without a migrant background: they are overrepresented in the highest and lowest levels of education, whereas persons without a migrant background dominate in the medium level of education. In the last decades, an overall increase in the educational level of Austria’s population could be observed. Concerning the population with a migrant background, the statistical increase in their educational level between 1991 and 2011 can mainly be traced back to the immigration of highly qualified persons from EU Member States. 

In 2011, 19.1 per cent (2010: 20.6 per cent) of persons with a migrant background have obtained a university, college or academic degree in comparison to only 14.2 per cent (2010: 14 per cent) without a migrant background. However, it is mainly persons from the EU, EEA and Switzerland (25.4 per cent, in 2010: 26.3 per cent) as well as persons from other countries (35.3 per cent, in 2010: 38.7 per cent) who make up this relatively high figure. Only very few migrants from former Yugoslavia (Slovenia excluded) (4.9 per cent, in 2010: 5.7 per cent) and Turkey (3.9 per cent, in 2010: 3.5 per cent) have obtained a university degree. Yet, especially persons from former Yugoslavia and Turkey are overrepresented at the lowest educational level. In 2011, the proportion of people with a migrant background having only attended compulsory school was – with 30.6 per cent (in 2010: 30.1 per cent) – about twice as high as the proportion of persons without a migrant background. Among those, migrants from former Yugoslavia (Slovenia excluded) (37.4 per cent, in 2010: 37.4 per cent) and Turkey (66.8 per cent, in 2010: 66 per cent) predominated. The percentage of children with migrant background is also extremely high in special needs schools. Children who use another every-day language than German at the time of school enrolment or are of non-Austrian nationality are often forced to start in a special needs school instead of a regular elementary school.    

Given the fact that children with a migrant background are still disadvantaged in the educational system, ECRI recommends Austria to sign and ratify the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education. Furthermore, ECRI points out that one of the main causes for the discrimination of children with a migrant background – the early segregation of pupils into vocational schools/high schools and secondary schools – has still not been tackled. Because of this early segregation, children with a migrant background and socio-economically disadvantaged children (which often applies to migrants) are restricted in their access to higher education. 

Source:

1. Statistik Austria, 2011, migration & integration, zahlen.daten.indikatoren 2011, http://www.bmi.gv.at/cms/BMI_Service/STS/Web_Jahrbuch_72dpi.pdf, Accessed on 05.11.2012.
2. Statsitik Austria, 2012, migration & integration, zahlen. daten.indikatoren 2012, http://www.bmi.gv.at/cms/BMI_Service/Integration_2012/migration_integration_2012_72dpi.pdf, Accessed on 05.11.2012.
3. ECRI, 2010, ECRI Report on Austria (fourth monitoring cycle, http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/ecri/Country-by-country/Austria/AUT-CbC-IV-2010-002-ENG.pdf, Accessed on 05.11.2012.