Governance

The governance of education and training in Austria is based on a cooperative federal structure, combining strong federal legislation with regional implementation. While the federal government defines the main legal framework, the provinces are involved in the practical implementation of education policies.

Many education laws have a special legal status, meaning that key provisions—such as the principle of free access to education—can only be amended with a two-thirds majority in parliament. This reflects the high political importance of education policy and contributes to the stability of the Austrian education system.

Main actors

The Federal Ministry of Education (BMB) is primarily responsible for the school system in Austria, covering primary to upper secondary education. This includes curricula, teacher training as well as quality assurance and education research (Qualitätsentwicklung und Bildungsforschung). Higher education, such as at universities, universities of applied sciences and teacher training colleges is overseen by the Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research. The ministry is also primarily responsible for adult education and training. 

Other ministries contribute to specific areas, including the Ministry for Economy, Energy and Tourism (the dual apprenticeship system), the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management (agricultural schools), the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (transition from school to work; in German) and the Federal Chancellery (youth policy). Social partners such as the Austrian Economic Chambers (WKO), the Trade Union Federation (ÖGB), the Chamber of Labour (Arbeiterkammer, AK) and the Chamber of Agriculture (LK) also play an important role, particularly in shaping policies relating to vocational education and training. 

Distribution of Responsibilities

In Austria, responsibility for education is shared across four levels: federal, provincial, local, and school.

At the federal level, the government—primarily through the Federal Ministry of Education—sets the legal framework and holds overall responsibility for the school system from primary to upper secondary education. In areas defined by Article 14 of the Federal Constitutional Law (Bundes-Verfassungsgesetz), the federal government establishes the general framework, and the federal provinces may adopt more detailed provisions to support its implementation. 

At the provincial level, the nine provinces implement federal policies through the Directorates of Education (Bildungsdirektionen). These bodies function as joint federal-provincial authorities, overseeing schools, ensuring quality and addressing various organisational and personnel matters.

At the local level, municipalities are primarily responsible for maintaining and financing the infrastructure of compulsory schools, often receiving financial support from the provinces.

Reforms introduced in 2017 (Bildungsreformgesetz 2017) strengthened school autonomy at the school level. Schools now have greater flexibility in terms of their pedagogical approaches, organisational structures, resource management and cooperation with external partners, enabling them to respond more effectively to local needs. 

Universities and higher education institutions fall entirely under federal responsibility. The Austrian constitution also guarantees academic freedom, as well as freedom of teaching and the arts. 

Cross-sectorial cooperation

In the context of Austrian education and training policy, cross-sectoral cooperation involves the coordination of several ministries, public authorities, social partners and regional stakeholders.

The action field ‘Education and Employment’ (Bildung und Beschäftigung) within the Austrian Youth Strategy promotes cooperation between the ministries responsible for education, labour and youth policy. The aim is to support young people in developing competencies and facilitating transitions from education to the labour market, in line with the Austrian Youth Goals. 

At the federal level, the Federal Ministry of Education develops curricular frameworks in consultation with stakeholders. In some areas, social partners, including the Chamber of Labour (AK), the Chamber of Agriculture (LK), the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) and the Austrian Economic Chambers (WKO), are involved in order to integrate labour market perspectives into education policy.

At the regional level, cooperation is supported by the Directorates of Education (Bildungsdirektionen). Established as part of the 2017 education reform, these joint federal-provincial authorities are responsible for implementing school legislation, coordinating school supervision and quality assurance, and managing personnel matters, thereby linking national policies with regional implementation.

Further cooperation occurs through Education Regions (Bildungsregionen), which encourage collaboration between schools and regional stakeholders, including social services, businesses, and civil society organisations. This collaboration is particularly aimed at improving educational transitions and regional education planning.