Safeguarding international schools in Austria: country guide

Private and international schools in Austria work under the Private Schools Act of 1962. The Federal Ministry of Education (BMBWF) sets the rules. Each of the nine provinces has its own school office, called a Bildungsdirektion.

Some private schools hold public status, so they can issue state-recognised grades. Others run an international course under their own rules. Ask your Head of School which status your school holds.

Many schools in Vienna also hold CIS, IB, NEASC or COBIS approval. Read how ITFCP international child protection standards fit with national school law.

In February 2024, Austria changed section 4 of its School Ordinance. From the 2024/25 school year, every school must write and use its own Kinderschutzkonzept, or child protection plan.

Some international schools run under a private statute. Even so, inspectors expect them to meet the national rule. Your designated safeguarding lead (DSL) can merge your current policy with the Austrian model, so staff follow one plan.

• A child protection team: at least two trained staff who lead the work, advise others and handle disclosures.
• A risk review: a check of rooms, trips, online channels and one-to-one settings on your site.
• A code of conduct: clear rules for staff, contractors and volunteers on touch, messages and gifts.
• A response plan: steps to follow when you suspect abuse, harm between pupils or staff misconduct.
• Training and review: regular training for every adult and planned updates to the plan.

Yes. Section 37 of the Federal Child and Youth Welfare Act 2013, or B-KJHG, sets a duty to report. It covers schools, nurseries and other staff who work with children.

The duty starts when staff have good reason to think a child is being abused, neglected or harmed. It applies when the school cannot remove the risk on its own.

The school must then send a written report at once to the local youth welfare office. In Vienna, that office is called MA 11.

Inside a school, staff tell the Head and the child protection team first. The school then sends the written report. Compare this rule with other countries in mandatory reporting laws for international schools.

If a child is in danger now, call the police on 133 or dial 112. Then follow your school plan and tell your DSL and Head the same day.

For other concerns, contact the youth welfare office for the district where the child lives.

• 133 and 112: police and emergency lines, open all day and night (oesterreich.gv.at).
• 144: ambulance and medical rescue.
• 147: Rat auf Draht, the free helpline for children, teens and parents, open 24 hours in German.
• MA 11 in Vienna: +43 1 4000 8011, for advice and crisis reports.
• 0800 112 112: a free 24-hour line for victims of crime and violence.

Teachers and leaders must have no record that bars them from work with pupils. Police stations and town offices issue two kinds of record check for schools.

The first is the standard criminal record certificate. The second is a special check for work with children, the Strafregisterbescheinigung Kinder- und Jugendfürsorge.

The special check shows sexual and violent crimes against children, even old ones. It also shows any court ban on work with children. To apply, the candidate needs a signed letter from the school.

International staff come from many places, so collect police checks from every country they lived in. Call each referee, and log each check on your Single Central Record. See safer recruitment for international schools.

Austria applies the EU GDPR and its own Data Protection Act (DSG). The national regulator is the Austrian Data Protection Authority.

When a school logs a concern or sends a section 37 report, it is meeting a legal duty. That is a lawful basis under GDPR. Limit access to the child protection team and the Head, and check where your software stores data.

Austria banned all physical punishment of children in 1989. School law also bans hitting or shaming pupils. State this rule clearly in your staff code of conduct.

This guide gives general information checked on 10 November 2026. It is not legal advice. Work through these steps in your first term with your Head and an Austrian lawyer.

• Check that your plan meets the 2024 rules, with a risk review and a code of conduct.
• Name your child protection team. Include your DSL, a deputy and a fluent German speaker.
• Download the section 37 report form from your provincial youth welfare website.
• Add the employer letter for the special record check to your hiring pack.
• Post 147, 133 and 112 in German and English on noticeboards and the intranet.