VIENNA — The number of Muslim students in public schools in Vienna, the capital of Austria, has risen significantly, with Muslims now accounting for about 42 percent of all pupils in the city’s public school system, according to the latest figures from local education authorities.
The Austrian daily Die Presse reported that Vienna’s public schools have a combined enrollment of about 114,000 students, with Muslims representing the largest share. Students with no religious affiliation make up 23 percent, Catholics 17 percent and Orthodox Christians 14 percent.
The figures were carried in a report by the Belgium-based news outlet Brussels Signal.
The share of Muslim students is even higher in public secondary and polytechnic schools, reaching about 49 percent at institutions serving 10- to 15-year-olds, according to the report. In public primary schools for children aged 6 to 10, Muslims account for about 39 percent.
Kenan Gungor, an integration expert, said the shift has accelerated since 2015 due to large-scale migration to Austria from Muslim-majority countries including Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. He said relatively higher birth rates among migrant families are also reshaping the student demographic.
Gungor said most Muslims in Austria were previously of Turkish descent, but the rising number of migrants from Arab countries in recent years has shifted religious and social attitudes. He said religious practice tends to be more conservative in Arab Muslim communities, and that is influencing student behavior and values.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report