Sports in Austria’s Schools

Physical education plays an important role within the Austrian school system, with physical training being a compulsory subject from the first to the twelfth class. In many schools, additional forms of sport are available on a voluntary basis.

One of the main tasks of physical education is to prepare people for sporting activities later on in life. This is achieved with the help of school ski courses, school sports and swimming weeks, and all-day hikes. In addition, there are school leagues which further oncoming talent in football and volleyball. Stamina training is encouraged via competitions in cross-country running and cross-country skiing.

In order to promote children with a particular talent for sport, Austria has incorporated special sports schools at various levels into the school system. These center around two types of schools:

Schools with general sporting aims, in which the theory and practice of sport is taught, and schools with a sporting emphasis, e.g. skiing schools, both academic and vocational. Of these, the best-known is probably the College of Skiing in Stams (Tyrol). The latter type of school offers talented young sportsmen and sportswomen the possibility of finishing their schooling with a leaving certificate, despite intensive training and frequent participation in competitions. The pupils also have the opportunity of taking their final exams earlier than usual due to the sporting demands being made of them.

University institutes specializing in sports are to be found in Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck and Salzburg.