Austria should invest more in early childhood education than universities

Austria should prioritize investment in early childhood education over universities due to significant funding gaps in the former. OECD data shows Austria spends about one percent of its GDP on tertiary education but less than one percent on elementary education, despite early investment yielding greater returns. Economist Treml advocates for earlier language assessments for three-year-olds to implement timely catch-up programs, highlighting the long-term benefits of early childhood education.