- Simply extend the holidays: school dropouts face fines
One or two days can make a difference of several hundred euros: Families who start their summer vacation earlier or extend it beyond its end often travel more cheaply. Apart from the fact that parents' nerves are spared - fewer traffic jams mean shorter travel times and less stress. However, this is a double-edged sword: Parents of truants face high fines.
Unauthorized absence from school is a misdemeanor. In North Rhine-Westphalia, fines of between 300 and 1,000 euros have been set. According to the Düsseldorf Regional Government, this fine applies to each parent responsible for each school-age child in the family. This type of special vacation and repeat offenses are "particularly heavily weighted" in the assessment, said a spokeswoman for the Münster Regional Government in a survey by the German Press Agency.
Schools report absences, municipalities take action
In Lower Saxony, the new school year begins on Monday - those who are not back from vacation in time risk a fine of between 5 and 1,000 euros, according to the Ministry of Culture. In cases of gross negligence, a fine of up to 500 euros can be imposed. Schools report these absences, and then the municipalities take action.
In Bremen, which has also reached the end of the summer vacation, fines of between 35 and 250 euros plus an administrative fee of 28.50 euros are threatened.
Rhineland-Palatinate has set a fine of up to 1,500 euros for continued violations of the school attendance obligation, with the state's Ministry of the Interior stating that the maximum amount is only used in cases of "particularly stubborn school refusers". However, children may also face so-called school disciplinary measures, ranging from a written reprimand to expulsion from school.
Authorities are sometimes sensitized to investigate children traveling at conspicuous times. For example, the airport in Memmingen, Bavaria, regularly reports checks just before the start of vacations. In February 2024, just before the winter vacation, officers caught several school-age and sick children traveling. Police reports indicate that school authorities were informed and parents were reported.
A brazen case recently made the rounds at the end of the school year: Border police officers in Memmingen stopped a 30-year-old woman with her seven-year-old daughter two days before the start of vacation. The mother claimed that she had to leave due to a death and that the school knew about it - a lie. The officers called the named school, but the seven-year-old did not attend it.
A call to the correct school eventually revealed that the child was absent due to illness. The result: The mother faces a fine of up to 1,000 euros, as reported by the police.
School attendance and role model function
Schools can be very strict about these last and first days of school: The legally established school attendance obligation is a high good, explains a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Culture of Lower Saxony. This obligation applies just as much before the start of school vacations and afterwards. "In the case of deliberate but unfounded absences from school, parents should also be aware of their role model function."
The figures may be significantly higher: Not all fines issued for truancy necessarily relate to extended holidays, and statistics do not include cases involving primary and secondary schools, as well as a significant portion of special schools, which are handled by local school authorities.
In Bremen, the federal state with the smallest population, more than 150 fines for unauthorized holiday extension were issued in the last school year 2023/24. The previous school year saw 141 such fines.
No exceptions: Travel is not a valid reason for absence
Absence from school is generally possible - through an application and for a valid reason, as stated in Rhineland-Palatinate. School principals decide at their discretion when such a valid reason exists, for example, the funeral of a family member.
"Booking a holiday that starts before or ends after the holidays is usually not a 'valid reason,'" explains a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior. In cases of illness or doubt about the accuracy of the information provided by parents, a certificate - in exceptional cases even from an independent medical officer - may be required.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, it is stated in a circular from the Ministry of Education: "A pupil may only be absent immediately before and after the holidays if the absence is clearly not intended to extend the school holidays, take advantage of cheaper holiday rates, or avoid peak travel times."
In Rhineland-Palatinate, the Ministry of the Interior has set a fine of up to 1,500 euros for continued violations of the school attendance obligation, emphasizing that the maximum amount is only used in cases of "particularly stubborn school refusers."
When planning holidays, it's important to note that starting or extending a trip before or after the school holidays is typically not considered a valid reason for absence, as highlighted by a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior in North Rhine-Westphalia.
