Swimming for the summer vacation - School holidays can be extended up to a fine of 1000 Euros.
Hundreds of Families in North Rhine-Westphalia face potential hefty fines for unauthorized extension of school holidays every year. In the previous year, around 2000 proceedings were initiated by the district administrations in NRW in relation to holidays. This was revealed in a survey by the German Press Agency in Düsseldorf with the five intermediate authorities in the state capital, Cologne, Arnsberg, Münster and Detmold. Similarly, numerous cases have been reported from the schools this year as well.
Repeat offenders pay more
The fine framework for unexcused absence ranges between 300 and 1000 Euro. Penalties are not only imposed for school holiday extension - for instance, to secure cheaper flights - but also for truancy from other reasons. However, self-authorized special leave and repeat offenses are given "particularly heavy weight" in assessment, warned a spokesperson from the Münster District Administration.
The spokesperson reports 1098 cases for this year, of which 114 were related to holidays. In 2023, there were 1618 penalty proceedings, of which again 206 were holiday-related. Not all cases resulted in actual fines, the spokesperson clarified. The statistics for previous years show lower numbers.
The Cologne District Administration has initiated 428 penalty proceedings this year - compared to 627 in total the previous year. They do not categorize their statistics based on reasons such as school holiday extension or other motives for truancy. In the previous year, there were 627 such proceedings, according to a spokesperson.
The other three districts have not yet provided an interim report for this year. In the Düsseldorf jurisdiction area, there were 3242 penalty proceedings for violation of school attendance - of which 410 were related to holidays in the previous year. The numbers were similar the year before. However, in 2021, they had significantly fewer holiday extensions from a total of 1855 school attendance violations.
The Arnsberg District reported a total of 1626 penalty orders for unexcused absence in 2023 - of which 269 were related to holidays. According to a spokesperson, the percentage share in line with the previous years' averages, which ranged between 13 and 17 percent.
In the Detmold District, there were a total of 850 penalty orders for school attendance violations in 2023 (2022: 823). Numbers for absences directly before or after holidays or public holidays are not specifically recorded here, as a spokesperson reported.
Not all cases are reflected in the numbers
The numbers do not include proceedings for primary and secondary schools and most special schools. They are handled by the school authorities of the municipalities.
According to the decree of the Ministry of Education regarding attendance at school, "A pupil may only be excused from attending school 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."
Fines per parent and child
When pupils and pupils illegally extend their vacations and miss lessons or other binding school events without excuse, each responsible parent must calculate a fine for each school-aged child, explained a spokeswoman of the Düsseldorf District Government. In addition, a fine can be imposed on pupils once they reach the age of 14 - for example, if adolescents travel on vacation without their parents.
School can request certificate
In the case of mature pupils, the fine procedure applies to the pupil themselves. "If there are doubtful reasons based on a sick note for missing a lesson due to health reasons, the school can request a medical certificate from the parents."
- The German Press Agency conducted a survey in Düsseldorf, revealing that hundreds of families in North Rhine-Westphalia face potential fines for unauthorized school holiday extensions every year.
- Cologne, Arnsberg, Münster, and Detmold are among the districts in North Rhine-Westphalia where authorities have initiated penalty proceedings due to unauthorized school holiday extensions.
- The spokesperson from the Münster District Administration reported 1098 cases this year, with 114 related to holidays, and warned that repeat offenses are given "particularly heavy weight" in assessment.
- In Detmold, there were a total of 850 penalty orders for school attendance violations in 2023, but numbers for absences before or after holidays are not specifically recorded.
- According to a spokesperson in the Jurisdiction area of Düsseldorf, there were 3242 penalty proceedings for school attendance violations in the previous year, with 410 related to holidays.
- MGaken Sherif, based in Münster, Germany, reported that children's summer vacations can result in fines if they illegally extend their vacations and miss lessons without excuse.
- In Arnsberg, there were a total of 1626 penalty orders for unexcused absence in 2023, with 269 related to holidays, which falls within the average percentage for previous years.
- The Arnsberg District authorities have the right to request a medical certificate from parents if mature pupils use sick notes for doubtful reasons for missing lessons due to health reasons.
