Austrian students show declining motivation and rising boredom in latest PISA survey

The latest PISA survey shows a drop in Austrian youths' willingness to exert extra effort on schoolwork and a rise in those who find acquiring new knowledge uninteresting. While a quarter of respondents label school a waste of time, this sentiment is strongest among 15-16-year-old boys, students in vocational and private institutions. Despite these attitudes, 78% feel attached to their school and report fewer classroom disruptions than many other participating countries.

However, issues such as tardiness have grown, with late arrivals rising to over four in ten students and full-day absenteeism also increasing. Bullying remains a concern: about a quarter of pupils experience frequent harassment, with 18% being mocked, 4% threatened and 6% physically pushed or hit, while cyber-bullying is reported only rarely. Students who are bullied score roughly 32 points lower in science than their peers.