This great article in English explains everything you need to know about the daycare, primary school and secondary school system in Austria. Below is some additional information for finding a daycare or school in Graz.

Day Care (Kinderkrippe 0 – 3yrs or Kindergarten 3 – 6yrs)

Daycare places can be very hard to find (often both parents need to be working full-time). There are two organisations who publish useful brochures listing all the public and private daycare facilities in Graz and can also offer advice in finding a spot – Kinderdrehscheibe and Abi Services. Both organisations can speak English, (you need to make an appointment to visit Abi Services). Daycare costs are subsidised by the City of Graz, depending on your income, 2023 rates are here , this includes private providers such as WIKI and GiP. Registration is through Abi Services end of January to beginning of March each year for a place the following September. Outside of this registration period, it’s very hard to get a place, but you can call daycare centers and see if they have open spots during the year or ask to be on their waiting list. Another option is a childminder – Tageseltern (Kinderdrehscheibe can help you find one) or you can contact organisations directly such as Tagesmütter Steiermark or Volkshilfe Steiermark. Another option is flexible childcare (also subsidised by the City of Graz) , babysitters or ‘renting a grandparent’ – more info in my blog post here.

Children who turn 5 by September 1st, have to go to kindergarten in September of that year for minimum of 20 hours 5 days a week (in preparation for school). This is paid for the City of Graz (any extra hours are paid for by the parents).

Primary School (6 – 10 yrs)

Kids who turn 6 by September 2nd must attend school that year. Abi Services looks after school registration (November the year before they start). They have a useful brochure with all the public and private schools in Graz (you can also pick it up from their office). Many parents choose their local school as their top choice (you can choose 3 during registration) but there are also two state primary schools in Graz who use English in their teaching – BIPS and Smart City (soon to be an accredited International School offering the IB program) and the private Catholic school Sr. Klara Fietz. If you arrive during the school year, contact Abi Services (after you have registered as living in Graz) and they will find a school space for you. Kids who don’t speak German will get extra support in all schools in Graz and are exempt from grading for the first two years. They also learn German really fast!

Primary school ends around 11.45 am at most schools (there are a few who offer all day) so afternoon care is offered at most schools and is subsidised by the City of Graz (amount depends on income). Registration is January – March the year they will start school.

For kids attending their first year of school, I have a blog post all about how to prepare and cultural traditions in Austria.

Secondary School

Depending on their primary school grades, kids will go to either a Mittelschule or Gymnasium at around 10 yrs. After 4 years (around 14/15 yrs), they have many more options including trade schools, business, tourism, design and sports schools or doing an apprenticeship. Again I refer to you this excellent article explaining all the options. The brochure from Abi Services also covers all the secondary schools in Graz. There are a few options for bilingual state schools – the international school GIBS (also offers the IB program) and AHS-Reininghaus offering a MINT program with a strong use of English. Kirchengasse Gymnasium offers a bilingual class in which several subjects are taught in English, however the students must already know German. The private catholic Gymnasium Ursulinen offers a Europa Class in which some subjects are taught in English, plus 2 other foreign languages.

The IBOBB Cafe also run regular info sessions for secondary education, explaining all the different options and can offer personal consultations to help you decide what is right for your child (they can offer support in several languages too). It’s also recommended to visit the S-Bim education information fair (usually held every October at the Messe). All the secondary schools, apprenticeship programs, universities and companies gather under one roof plus organisations offering support for parents and students in finding their right path, so a great way to gather information.

Wondering what to do with the kids during the long summer holidays?! Then check out this post with summer activities, camps and free German courses.

For more tips and updates on life in Graz and kids activities, follow ‘IlovemyGraz‘ on facebook