​Central

State authorities are responsible for:

• Setting the legislative framework for general training;
• General principles, system levels and curricula regulated in the law on schools ("Schulgesetzwerk");
• General Training Policy administration with respect to the organisation of the school system, the internal organisation of the educational system;
• Large sector of policy administration by own organs ("unmittelbare Bundesverwaltung");
• Universities owned by the state, school system regulated on federal level;
• Legislation on the status of teachers in public schools;
• Performing supervisory tasks;
• European and International Affairs
  
• Compulsory training for young people (Ausbildungspflicht für Jugendliche - Kompetenzbereinigung 2020)
  
• University and college education as well as education in matters pertaining to student hostels (Universitäts- und Hochschulwesen sowie das Erziehungswesen betreffend Studentenheime in diesen Angelegenheiten - Kompetezenzbereinigung 2020)​
  

 Bund-Länder cooperation: since 2019, a centralized Bildungsdirektion (“education agency") organizes the Länder's administration schools exclusively. The Bildungsdirektion is a joint authority of the Bund and the respective Land.

• Enforcement of entire school law
• School supervision and quality control
• Index-based resource allocation
  

Responsible ministries/bodies

Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Research

Regional

Regional authorities are responsible for:

• Administration of the general training policy within the framework set by the federal level;
• Legislation on and administration of pre-school education (Art. 14(4b) Constitution).

Local

Local authorities are responsible for:

• Cooperation with the Länder in running the facilities of primary and secondary modern schools.

In a 2013 Constitutional Reform, the local school councils were abolished and the roles they had have been taken over by local representatives of the regional school councils.

The education reform of 2017 provides schools with significantly increased autonomy:

• Flexible class size determined by principal
• Flexible duration of teaching sessions
• Flexible school opening hours
• Autonomous use of resources
• Autonomous selection of teaching personnel​
  

Sources:

Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Research

Language and language education policies in Austria: Present situation & topical issues (Chapter 2)

Explanation of 2013 school reform (only DE)​