Austrian children in poverty

A new study warns that poverty amongst children is a growing threat in Austria. The study authors says that more jobs can help the children of the country as well as free schooling.

From the Austrian Times, this snippet gives us the study's numbers.

A new study by the Institute for Sociology claims some 250,000 children in Austria are either living in poverty or close to doing so with children of unemployed and migrants most at risk.

Study co-author Irina Vana said today (Thurs) 100,000 children aged seven to 14 lived in homes without PCs and 90,000 lived in excessively small apartments.

Co-author Ursula Till-Tentschert added that in such apartments, noise and a lack of space often meant children unable to do their homework.

Martin Schenk from the Poverty Conference called for more child-care, an integrative school system and a society in which children received the respect due to them.

Social Democrat (SPÖ) Social Minister Rudolf Hundstorfer said child poverty was something that needed to be acted upon.

The minister said: "The proper combination of tax, labour-market, social and educational measures will enable us to deal with the problem and give new chances to our children."