News
Help with your donation!
Even small amounts help us with our work, and we are especially happy about standing orders.
06.12.2025 · Peter Bernscherer · Share on Facebook · Share on X (Twitter)
Digital participation begins with reading skills
The latest OECD figures paint an alarming picture: Almost a third of adults in Austria cannot adequately read and understand simple texts. Months after the initial survey, follow-up data from September 2025 shows no change in this trend, despite announced measures. On the contrary, the percentage of adults with low reading skills has even risen slightly to 31 percent.
From our daily work, we are all too familiar with the dramatic consequences of this development.
People with limited literacy skills are doubly disadvantaged in the digital world. They cannot fill out online forms, use digital government services, understand emails, or critically evaluate information on the internet. Digitalization, which was intended to enable greater participation for everyone, thus becomes an additional barrier.
Announcements alone are not enough
Politicians are responding with declarations of intent: a €65 million bonus for early intervention, a second year of kindergarten, and more diagnostic testing. But between December 2024 and September 2025, nothing has improved. In our training programs, we see daily how difficult it is for people with low literacy skills to integrate into the digital society.
The facts are clear:
The number of functionally illiterate people has almost doubled since 2012.
Education continues to be strongly inherited – only 16 percent without academic parents achieve a university degree.
People with low literacy skills participate least in further education – a vicious cycle.
What is really needed
Instead of new announcements, we need immediate, concrete steps:
1. Low-threshold digital literacy for adults You learn to read by reading. Digital applications can motivate and provide individual support – if used correctly. But this requires widespread, free access.
2. Hardware access for everyone A computer or tablet is as essential today as a textbook. Families with low levels of education often cannot afford them. This creates educational barriers even before the child leaves school.
3. Early intervention instead of grade repetition The OECD confirms: Repeating a grade is expensive and stigmatizing, but yields little improvement in performance. The money would be better invested in digital learning tools and individualized support.
4. Expand extracurricular support Children from disadvantaged families especially need places where they can access technology and receive learning support. Organizations like ours provide this support – usually with minimal resources.
A year wasted
Almost a year separates the two studies. A year in which thousands of children left school with inadequate reading skills. A year in which adults remained excluded from the digital society. A year in which announcements were made, but no tangible improvements were achieved.
Digitalization doesn't wait for political timetables. Every day, more bureaucratic processes, more job postings, more information become available exclusively online. Those who can't read and navigate digitally fall behind – and with them, the chance to participate in society.
Austria cannot afford this development. This isn't just about education statistics; it's about the future of almost a third of the population. It's high time to move from announcements to action – before another generation is lost.
PCs for All has been committed to digital inclusion and equal opportunities for years. We see every day what access to technology and education can achieve – and what is missing when both are lacking.