Swimming for the summer vacation - School holidays can be extended up to a fine of 1000 Euros
Hundreds of families in North Rhine-Westphalia risk facing substantial fines every year for unauthorized extensions of school holidays. Last year, approximately 2000 proceedings were initiated by the district administrations in NRW in connection with holidays. This was revealed in a survey by the German Press Agency in Duesseldorf among the five central authorities in the state capital, Cologne, Arnsberg, Munster and Detmold. Similarly, numerous cases have been reported from the schools this year.
The figures do not include proceedings for primary and secondary schools as well as most special schools. These are handled by the school authorities of the municipalities.
The fine framework for unexcused absences ranges from 300 to 1000 Euro. Penalties are not only imposed for the extension of holidays - for example, due to cheaper flight rates - but also for other reasons. The self-authorized special leave and repeated cases are "weighed particularly heavily" in assessment, warned a spokeswoman for the Bezirksregierung Munster.
According to the decree of the Ministry of Education regarding attendance at school, "A pupil or student may only be granted leave immediately before and after the holidays if the leave is not obviously for the purpose of extending the school holidays, taking advantage of cheaper holiday tariffs or avoiding traffic jams."
- Families in Düsseldorf, like those in other cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, need to be cautious during summer vacation to avoid facing penalties from the authorities.
- The survey conducted by the German Press Agency in Munster, a Monastery town in North Rhine-Westphalia, revealed concerning figures regarding unauthorized school holiday extensions.
- Detmold, another city in North Rhine-Westphalia, also reported numerous cases of children taking unauthorized vacations during the school year.
- Despite the penalties, some parents still choose to extend their children's vacations, even if it means incurring a fine of up to 1000 Euro.
- The Cologne district administration was one of the five central authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia that participated in the survey conducted by the German Press Agency.
- Last year, approximately 2000 proceedings were initiated by the authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia due to unauthorized school holiday extensions, according to the survey.
- The Arnsberg district administration, another participant in the survey, warned that self-authorized special leaves and repeated cases are heavily penalized.
- The Ministry of Education in North Rhine-Westphalia strongly discourages extending school holidays, as stated in their decree, and imposes penalties for any violations.
