In a strategic restructuring of its educational program, , is moving forward, including Media Literacy in secondary education, with a simultaneous reduction in the hours of teaching classical languages.
The new curriculum structure
According to information published by the newspaper Kronen Zeitung, Austria’s federal Ministry of Education plans to fully implement the new program from the 2027/28 school year.
The key pillars of the reform include:
- Renaming and upgrading: The “Computer Science” course is evolving into “Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence”, with the aim of cultivating critical thinking around the use of new digital tools.
- Political Education: The subject “Mass Media and Democracy” is introduced, seeking to shield students against misinformation.
- Redistribution of time: To ensure the necessary teaching time, the hours of Latin are reduced from 12 to 8 per week.
The “crisis” of the traditional learning model
Thomas Druyen, a professor at the Institute for Psychology and Future Management of the Sigmund Freud University in Vienna, underlines the need for immediate adaptation.
“Our education system corresponds to a world that no longer exists. While school exams insist on memorization, real developments and decisions are now driven by Artificial Intelligence,” the professor points out.
At the same time, he warned that refraining from teaching new technologies makes young people “incapable of managing reality”.
Problematization in Germany and scientific controversies
In contrast to Austria, Germany appears more cautious, without having arrived at a single national strategy. The scientific community remains divided, with some experts expressing serious reservations about the age of introducing AI into education.
The neuroscientist Manfred Spitzer, speaking to the newspaper BILD, appeared critical:
“First you have to gain solid knowledge and learn to think independently, and then use AI. Its early integration into lessons deprives students of the ability to develop their own ideas.”
