Compulsory Education: Essential Information for Parents on Children Skipping School in Germany
In Germany, the obligation for children to attend school every day is known as Schulpflicht. This rule is designed to safeguard the health of all pupils and ensure consistency in education.
When a child is ill, parents have the responsibility to keep them at home. It's crucial to inform the school as soon as possible, and if the absence is longer than three or more consecutive days or if the child is frequently absent for medical reasons, a medical certificate (ärztliches Attest) is necessary.
Parents who violate Germany's strict attendance rules by taking their children out of school without permission can face fines. The amount of these fines varies from state to state, ranging from €1,000 to €2,500. In some states like Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Saarland, persistent violations can lead to fines calculated by daily rates up to 180 days or even prison sentences of up to six months.
Schools pay special attention to absences that occur immediately before or after holiday periods. They also recognize a number of legitimate reasons for missing school, such as illness, family bereavement, weddings, religious obligations, or participation in top-level sports or music competitions.
However, it's important to note that schools in Germany have the right to demand a doctor's note, but doctors are also legally allowed to refuse to issue one. Schools are legally allowed to mark absences as "unexcused" if the proper protocol for reporting them was not followed or if the school didn't think the reason was good enough.
Parents are advised to submit a formal request to the school as early as possible, stating both the reason for and duration of the planned absence. Documentation and a formal request are almost always required for absences due to legitimate reasons.
Repeated offenses or deliberate flouting of the rules can escalate rapidly in Germany, leading to increased scrutiny, larger fines, and even involvement from the youth welfare authorities in extreme cases. However, a far more likely outcome for violating Germany's strict attendance rules is simply having a few days marked as "unexcused absences" on a child's school report, rather than facing fines.
Taking children out of school for non-essential reasons, such as family travel or prolonging vacations, is explicitly forbidden in Germany. End-of-semester reports in Germany invariably record the number of days a child has missed and the number of these days which were "unexcused".
Enforcement of Schulpflicht can feel excessively heavy-handed to foreign parents, but it's important to remember that these rules are in place to ensure the best possible education and health for all children in Germany.
