Politics is waking up

“Our rules and laws apply in the classroom”

Based on recent reports, more and more parents of pupils are complaining about a "permanent genuflection to Islam" at their local schools.

(Bild: APA/dpa)

Following the "Krone" revelations about a prostration to Islam in schools, politicians are also waking up. The Ministry of Education and Integration says: "Austria is a country with a Christian tradition. This is tolerance misunderstood!" Our laws apply in the classroom.

As reported, two investigative articles caused outrage in the country. In a Viennese school, a teacher banned children from reading from the Bible "out of consideration for their Muslim classmates", while in Linz a math test was canceled due to Ramadan.

Education Minister Martin Polaschek shows no understanding for this and demands a stance in the "Krone" newspaper: "Austria is a country with a Christian character. Every pupil and every teacher must therefore be aware that our rules and laws apply in our classrooms!"

Respecting and learning to understand our culture is therefore not a request, but an obligation for all those who want to live in our country and attend school.

Bildungsminister Martin Polaschek

Bild: Tomschi Peter

We must not allow ourselves to be bent out of a false sense of tolerance. Above all, the teaching of Austrian culture and our Western values must be at the heart of Austrian schools.

It is unacceptable that schoolwork is postponed because of Ramadan or that reading from the Bible is forbidden. That is a misunderstanding of tolerance.

Integrationsministerin Susanne Raab

Bild: APA/Eva Manhart

The Ministry of Integration must also take a clear stance. "This is misunderstood tolerance, which is rightly incomprehensible to many families. We want our Christian traditions to be lived out in our country."

Education directorates should investigate every case
As a first consequence, the education directorates in the federal states are required to examine "every single case that is one case too many" - and then to take action. This is probably the order of the day, as time is pressing.