Lehrer- und Erzieherausbildung#

Teachers and Caretakers, Training of: recognised as a prerequisite for the improvement of the school system in the 18th century, first institutionalised in Austria in the Vienna Normalschule (1771) and prescribed by law in the Allgemeine Schulordnung (1774). "Preparatory courses" in normal schools (including entrance and school leaving exams), later also in model vocationally-oriented secondary schools, were intended to provide a theoretical basis for the more practical training of teachers. Originally the training lasted for about 3 months, in 1805 it was extended to 6 months (for secondary school teachers) in the School Administration Act, further extended to one year in 1848 and to 2 years in 1849. F. M. Vierthaler in Salzburg and above all G. A. Wimmer with his 4-year "charity school teachers´ seminary" in Oberschuetzen, which was then still on Hungarian territory (1845), developed more demanding training schemes. Training of teachers and caretakers was reformed in the Reichsvolksschulgesetz (1869), which called for teacher-training institutions (1874) including model schools for practical training (entrance exam or attendance of the preparatory class; from the age of 15, 4-year training, from 1886 stronger focus on musical training; school leaving exam without qualification for university admission). Aimed at equipping teachers with general knowledge and professional training, integrity and loyalty. The early 20th century saw educational experiments for the improvement of teacher and caretaker-training institutions: training period of 6 years and separation of general education (grades 1 to 4) and professional training (grades 5 and 6) in the private teacher-training institution in Vienna-Waehring, and a 4-semester university-like training course for teachers and caretakers at the Vienna Pedagogical Institute, which was open to persons who had passed the Matura exam. (This course was not an independently recognised course of study but formed part of the Teachers, Further Training of) programme. Curricula in 1932 were based on a 5-year training period for teachers and caretakers (preparatory class and 4 grades), in 1937 the training period was extended to 6 years ("teachers´ academy", Latin courses, qualification for university admission), in 1938 the National Socialists introduced a 5-year training period. The provisional curricula of 1950 put teacher-training institutions on a similar level with Realgymnasium schools (mathematics-oriented selective secondary schools), and the school leaving exam became not only a qualification for teaching in primary schools but also for university admission (1951). The School Legislation of 1962 abolished professional training in teacher-training institutions ( Musisch-paedagogisches Realgymnasium) and transferred the training of teachers and caretakers to Paedagogische Akademien (Pedagogical Academies), (including training schools; locations: Baden bei Wien, Eisenstadt, Feldkirch-Tisis, Graz, Graz-Eggenberg, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Krems, in Linz Kaplanhofstrasse and Salesianumweg, Salzburg, 10th district of Vienna, 21st district of Vienna, Zams). Schools opened in 1966/1967; admission requirements are the school leaving exam of a secondary school (Matura) and physical aptitude. Lessons are restricted to subjects which are relevant to the teaching profession, training for teachers at Hauptschule (regular secondary) schools, teachers at schools for children with special needs and Polytechnische Lehrgaenge (one-year courses for future apprentices). At first, the training period was 4-semesters, which was extended to 6 semesters in 1976; since 1986 primary school teachers have also had to undergo a 6-semester training. Training ends with an exam to attain qualified teacher status.

Separate training courses for caretakers first started in the middle of the 20th century. Schools are the School for Caretakers of the Caritas in Vienna (1953) and the Federal Institute for the Training of Caretakers in Baden (1960). Institutionalised by law in 1962, secondary schools for caretakers have comprised 5 grades since 1985, they lead to a school leaving exam (qualification for university admission) and a qualification exam (for educational tasks in after-school care centres for children, boarding schools and day-care institutions as well as for private work with young people). These schools can also offer Kollegs. Since 1993 they have been called Bildungsanstalten fuer Sozialpaedagogik (secondary schools for social education).

Unlike the general school system, the non-university training of teachers in vocational schools was in no way standardised and private preparation for the compulsory exam to attain qualified teacher status prevailed. It was only in the Second Republic that the training of teachers for all subjects taught in vocational schools was formally organised. Today most teachers at primary and Hauptschule schools are women, in 1994/1995 84 % of teachers in primary schools and 65 % of all primary and Hauptschule teachers were women. Berufspaedagogische Akademie, Kindergarten, Schools of Agriculture and Forestry.