Austria's National AI-in-Schools Framework and Curriculum Reform

Austria's Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMB), under Minister Christoph Wiederkehr, has launched a national AI-in-schools programme built on the principle 'first without AI, then about AI, and then with AI.' The programme combines governance rules for AI use in exams, teacher training platforms, and a curriculum reform that will make 'Informatics and Artificial Intelligence' a compulsory subject in upper-secondary academic schools (AHS) from 2027/28.

Establish transparent governance for AI use in schools, integrate AI literacy into the curriculum, train teachers on AI at scale, and make AI/Informatics a compulsory subject by 2027/28.

The BMB issued FAQ guidance requiring schools to disclose exam conditions and permitted AI use, and requires students to demonstrate understanding of AI outputs including hallucination and bias risks. Teacher training is delivered via the KI-MOOC platform and mandatory coursework on Virtuelle-PH.at, with a 'KI-Badge' school certification and pilot projects at the University of Graz and PH Wien (Teachino programme). A new compulsory 'Informatics and Artificial Intelligence' subject and a 'Media and Democracy' subject are being introduced, partly replacing Latin teaching hours.

A survey of over 10,000 teachers, parents, students and stakeholders (published 30 January 2026, presented 3 February 2026) found 75% of teachers and 80% of parents support the fundamental reform.

Minister Wiederkehr acknowledged there is no clear evidence yet on whether AI use improves PISA scores or learning outcomes, describing the evidence base as "fully in the fog" with "very different signals."