One in three Austrian schoolchildren received paid tutoring last year, study finds

One in three schoolchildren in Austria received paid tutoring in the past academic year, according to the 2026 Nachhilfebarometer published Tuesday by the Arbeiterkammer (AK) Wien. The report found 338,000 children and adolescents—32 percent of all students—received tutoring, up from 31 percent the previous year. Among primary school pupils, 23 percent now receive additional support, the study showed .
The AK Wien survey, conducted by the IFES Institute between March and May, polled 3,208 parents with 4,728 schoolchildren. It revealed that 76 percent of students learn with their parents, with 23 percent doing so almost daily. Overall, 68 percent of parents assist their children multiple times a week, a burden that AK Wien education expert Elke Larcher described as "dysfunctional" and particularly challenging for parents without a high school diploma, contributing to educational inequality .
Mathematics accounted for 66 percent of tutoring demand, the AK report noted, while 52 percent of tutoring cases aimed to improve a single grade. Another 28 percent sought to avoid a failing grade or retake an exam. Larcher characterized the trend as a symptom of "bulimia learning"—short-term memorization for tests without lasting comprehension—adding that 28 percent of parents attributed tutoring needs to gaps in classroom instruction, such as insufficiently taught material or canceled lessons .
The AK Wien estimated that Austrian families spend €140 million annually on private tutoring, with €40 million of that covering instruction that should have been provided in schools. Ilkim Erdost, head of AK Wien’s education department, stated that tutoring had become "normalized" and was starting earlier, often in primary school, as parents seek to secure spots in selective secondary schools .
A separate analysis in *Die Presse* noted that while tutoring demand does not necessarily indicate systemic failure, it often reflects mismatches between a child’s abilities and the chosen school track. The article questioned whether pushing children into academic high schools (AHS) at all costs was sustainable, citing Statistics Austria data showing 77.7 percent of vocational school graduates were employed 18 months after completion .
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