The Constitution of Austria October 1, 1920, modified in 1929 and 1983.  

EDUCATION 

Art. 14.

(1) Save as provided otherwise in the following paragraphs, legislation and execution in the field of schooling and in the field of education in matters pertaining to pupil and student hostels are the business of the Federation. The matters settled in Art. 14a do not belong to schooling and education within the meaning of this Article.

(2) Save as provided otherwise by para. 4 sub-para. a below, legislation is the business of the Federation, execution the business of the Laender in matters pertaining to the service code for and staff representation rights of teachers at public compulsory schools. Such Federal laws can empower Land legislatures to issue implementing provisions to individual provisions which shall be precisely specified; in these instances the provisions of Art. 15 para. 6 apply analogously. The enabling ordinances in respect of such Federation laws, save as provided otherwise herein, shall be issued by the Federation.

(3) In the following matters legislation as regards principles is the business of the Federation, the issue of implementing laws and execution the business of the Laender:

a) composition and disposition, including their members’ appointment and remuneration, of the boards to be constituted in the Laender and political districts as part of the Federal school authorities;

b) framework organization (structure, organizational forms, establishment, maintenance, dissolution, local districts, sizes of classes and instruction periods) of public compulsory schools;

c) framework organization of publicly maintained student hostels provided exclusively or mainly for pupils of compulsory schools;

d) professional employment qualifications for kindergarten teachers and educational assistants to be employed by the Laender, municipalities, or municipal associations at the centres and student hostels provided exclusively or mainly for pupils of compulsory schools.

(4) In the following matters legislation and execution is the business of the Laender:

a) competence of authorities, on the basis of laws promulgated pursuant to para. 2 above, to exercise the service prerogative over teachers at public compulsory schools; the Laender laws shall provide that the Federal school authorities in the Laender and political Bezirke must participate in appointments, other selections for service positions, and awards as well as in eligibility and disciplinary proceedings. The participation in appointments, other selections for service positions, and awards shall at all events comprise a right of nomination on the part of the primary level Federal school authority;

b) the kindergarten system and the centres system.

(5) In the following matters legislation and execution are, in deviation from the provisions of paras. 2 to 4 above, the business of the Federation:

a) public demonstration schools, demonstration kindergartens, demonstration centres and demonstration student hostels attached to a public school for the purpose of practical instruction as provided by the curriculum;

b) publicly maintained student hostels intended exclusively or mainly for pupils of the demonstration schools mentioned in sub-para. a above;

c) the service code for and staff representation rights of teachers, educational assistants and kindergarten teachers at the public institutions mentioned in sub-paras. a and b above.

(6) Public schools are those schools which are established and maintained by authorities so required by law. The Federation is the authority so required by law in so far as legislation and execution in matters pertaining to the establishment, maintenance and dissolution of public schools are the business of the Federation. The Land or, according to the statutory provisions, the municipality or a municipal association is the authority so required by law in so far as legislation or implementing legislation and execution in matters pertaining to establishment, maintenance and dissolution of public schools are the business of the Land. Admission to public school is open to all without distinction of birth, sex, race, status, class, language and religion, and in other respects within the limits of the statutory requirements. The same applies analogously to kindergartens, centres and student hostels.

(7) Private schools are other than public schools; they shall be accorded public status according to the statutory provisions.

(8) The Federation is entitled, in matters which in accordance with paras. 2 and 3 above appertain to execution by the Laender, to obtain confirmation about adherence to the laws and ordinances issued on the basis of these paragraphs and can for this purpose delegate officials to the schools and student hostels. Should shortcomings be observed, the Governor can be instructed (Art. 20 para. 1) to redress the shortcomings within an appropriate deadline. The Governor must see to the redress of the shortcomings according to the statutory provisions and, to effect the execution of such instructions, is bound also to employ the means at his disposal in his capacity as an authority acting on behalf of the Land in its autonomous sphere of competence.

(9) The general rules in Arts. 10 and 21 as to the distribution of competences for legislation and execution regarding conditions of service with the Federation, the Laender, the municipalities and the municipal associations apply in respect of the service code for teachers, educational assistants and kindergarten teachers, save as provided otherwise by the preceding paragraphs. The same applies to the staff representation rights of teachers, educational assistants, and kindergarten teachers.

(10) In matters pertaining to the school authorities of the Federation in the Laender and political districts, compulsory schooling, school organization, private schools, and the relationship between school and the Churches (of various denominations) including religious instruction at school, the National Council, in so far as matters pertaining to universities and fine arts academies are not concerned, can vote Federal legislation only in the presence of at least half the members and by a two thirds majority of the votes cast. The same applies to the ratification of treaties negotiated on these matters and which fall into the category specified in Art. 50.

(11) (Repealed) 

CITIZENSHIP 

Art. 6.

(1) For the Republic of Austria there prevails a uniform nationality.

(2) Nationals are citizens of the Land where they have their principal domicile; Land laws can however stipulate that also nationals who have a domicile, but not their principal domicile, in the Land are citizens of that Land.

(3) ’A person's principal domicile is established in the place where he has settled with the intention, provable or emerging from the circumstances, of setting up there the centre of his relations of life. If this requirement is, on the basis of an overall consideration of a person’s professional, economic and social relations of life, met by more than one domicile, this person has to designate as his principal domicile the one which he has the closest connection to. 

Art. 7.

(1) All nationals (Austrian citizens) are equal before the law. Privileges based upon birth, sex, estate, class or religion are excluded. No one shall be discriminated against because of his disability. The Republic (Federation, Laender and municipalities) commits itself to ensuring the equal treatment of disabled and non-disabled persons in all spheres of every-day life.

(2) The Federation, Laender and municipalities subscribe to the de-facto equality of men and women. Measures to promote factual equality of women and men, particularly by eliminating actually existing inequalities, are admissible.

(3) Official designations can be applied in such a way as to indicate the sex of the officer holder. The same holds good for titles, academic degrees and descriptions of occupations.

(4) Public employees, including members of the Federal Army, are guaranteed the unrestricted exercise of their political rights.

 LANGUAGES

 Art. 8.

German is the official language of the Republic without prejudice to the rights provided by Federal law for linguistic minorities.

(2) The Republic (the Federation, Laender and municipalities) is committed to its linguistic and cultural diversity which has evolved in the course of time and finds its expression in the autochthonous ethnic groups. The language and culture, continued existence and protection of these ethnic groups shall be respected, safeguarded and promoted.

 INTERNATIONAL LAW

 Art. 9.

(1) The generally recognized rules of international law are regarded as integral parts of Federal law.

(2) Legislation or a treaty requiring sanction in accordance with Art. 50 para. 1 can transfer specific Federal competences to intergovernmental organizations and their authorities and can within the framework of international law regulate the activity of foreign states' agents inside Austria as well as the activity of Austrian agents abroad.