Opportunity Bonus: Tenders for 800 New Positions at Austrian Schools Begin

Goals and Target Groups of the Program

The program aims to improve learning conditions at schools with special challenges. Particularly those locations where many children require additional help are to benefit from the new positions.

The financing of the Opportunity Bonus is estimated at 65 million euros per year. This sum will cover the approximately 800 new positions that will be distributed among the participating schools.

The funded professional groups include teachers, school psychologists, and social workers. Furthermore, schools can also request staff from the fields of drama education, music and dance education, as well as trainers for dyslexia and dyscalculia.

Diverse Professional Groups Eligible for Funding

The processing of applications is handled by the Austrian Center for Psychological Health Promotion in Schools (ÖZPGS). This institution is responsible for the coordination and selection of applications.

Wiederkehr emphasized that the government is thus fulfilling a promise. "With this, we are bringing more support to schools and sustainably strengthening equal opportunities," he said. The investment is being made despite the tight budget situation.

Schools can submit their applications immediately. The decision on the specific use of funds lies with the local school principals, who can best assess the needs of their students.

Implementation and Outlook

The program is part of a broader educational policy initiative through which the federal government aims to increase equal opportunities in the Austrian school system. The focus is on locations with a high proportion of children who require additional support for various reasons.

The tender was distributed via the Austria Presse Agentur (APA) and was met with a positive response from educational organizations. Initial feedback from schools indicates a high level of interest in the additional resources.