When pupils in the fifth and sixth grades are equipped with tablets from autumn, Austria will finally take a step towards digitization from the point of view of the top teacher representative Paul Kimberger (FCG). At the same time, the unionist emphasizes: “That can only be the beginning.” In many locations there is a lack of infrastructure to use digital devices sensibly in the classroom.
With Corona, you saw what was missed in the past in digitization, says Kimberger. You need high-performance internet and WiFi, but also teacher workstations.
Kimberger complains that it is still unclear who is responsible for maintaining the devices or replacing damaged devices. “That can’t get stuck with the teachers.”
It is absurd that all teachers at federal schools get a laptop or tablet from the federal government, while at compulsory schools, where the federal states maintain, there should only be three devices per class. “Here, too, all teachers have to be equipped,” says Kimberger, referring to Upper Austria, which has announced an initiative.
