Kaufmännisches Schulwesen#

Commercial Schools; originally (from the 18th century) German educational establishments provided the model for Austrian trade schools and academies (e.g. Real-Handlungs-Akademie, established in 1770, incorporated into the Polytechnical Institute as a commercial department in 1815) and became flourishing educational institutions which were mainly funded by commerce and local businesses after 1848. In the second half of the 19th century a uniform system of commercial education institutions was introduced which is still in force: commercial vocational schools as part-time schools for apprentices ( Berufsschulen), 2-year commercial colleges and 3- or 4-year commercial colleges and academies. In the following decades the curricula of these schools and academies were adapted to new developments and the radical changes of the time; the training was prolonged by 1 or 2 years, (school leaving exams required for limited university entrance were introduced at the 4-year commercial colleges in 1920, 3-year commercial schools and 5-year commercial academies qualifying for university entrance were established in 1962). After 1945 a variety of specialized school and college types were introduced: 3-year commercial college for data processing (Schule fuer Datenverarbeitungs-Kaufleute), 2-year school for office management and administrative organisation (Buero- und Verwaltungsschule), 2-year courses in office management (Bueropraxislehrgang, Lehrgang fuer Bueroberufe); 1-year school for office communication (Schule fuer Buerokommunikation). Today most of the larger Austrian towns have commercial educational establishments and there are 119 commercial schools and 119 commercial academies in Austria. A variety of courses and colleges (courses for handicapped people and for minorities, evening courses for working people and colleges for graduates of Gymnasium school types Kollegs) have also been established to meet special requirements.