Schools in Vienna are introducing a new curriculum to combat antisemitism, rejection of women’s rights, and hostility towards state authority and democracy—all recorded to be on the rise, particularly among Muslim youth.
A recent survey revealed that 41.2% of Viennese students identify as Muslim, making them the largest religious group among the student population. At the same time, the share of Christian students has been steadily decreasing, and now makes up 34.5% of the total student population.
City Councilor for Education Bettina Emmerling (NEOS) said an intensive interfaith dialogue is practiced in Vienna. Human dignity, pluralism, and democracy should be a matter of course, she said, especially for young people—just like equal treatment of men and women. Emmerling also stated that it is often easier to learn to embrace the ability to live with plurality in the early years of development.
To counter this trend, Vienna schools will introduce ‘Living in Democracy,’ a common school course for all children starting in primary school. Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr, former deputy mayor of Vienna, has reportedly already presented plans for the adoption of this course.
