Nearly half a million students in Vienna, Lower Austria, and Burgenland will begin the new school year on Monday. Among them are more than 42,000 first graders who will be stepping into a classroom for the very first time. Meanwhile, students in other Austrian states still have one more week of summer vacation before their school year commences.
This school year brings significant changes, particularly for students in academic secondary schools (AHS) and those attending intermediate vocational schools (BMS). The most notable change is the complete elimination of final projects at BMS institutions.
The mandatory pre-scientific paper (VWA) requirement has been abolished at AHS. Instead, students will now complete a “Final Project,” which can take various forms, including a multimedia product, video report, or podcast. Alternatively, until the 2028/29 school year, students can opt to take an additional oral or written final exam in place of the project. These changes shift how students in Austria’s educational system will demonstrate their knowledge and skills as they approach graduation.