- Vacation instead of school - "not a chivalrous crime"
Six weeks aren't enough for some: Families whose children don't attend school before or just after holidays face consequences in Rhineland-Palatinate, up to fines. Those who miss school without excuse or leave of absence commit an administrative offense, the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Education in Mainz explained.
School disciplinary measures could then be imposed on students, ranging from reprimands to expulsion. Representatives of the local authority or the police could also bring students to school, so-called forced attendance, as the ministry explained. Persistent violations of school attendance could result in a fine, with a maximum of 1500 euros. There is no statewide statistics on such cases, according to the ministry.
Leave of absence for "important reason" possible
The Rhineland-Palatinate School Act generally allows leave of absence from school for "important reason", granted by the school management. Whether a reason is important is decided by the school management at its discretion, which could be the funeral of a relative or an important appointment that cannot be made outside school hours.
However, booking a trip that starts before the start of the holidays is usually not considered an important reason, the ministry emphasized. If there are significant doubts about the correctness of the parents' statements, a medical certificate, possibly even a public health certificate, can be requested. "However, it must be weighed up in each individual case and there must be a well-founded suspicion of an incorrect sick note," the Ministry of Education in Mainz explained. Controls without a specific reason at airports or train stations are not planned in Rhineland-Palatinate, as the Ministry of the Interior announced.
The local authority or the police might be involved in enforcing school attendance, known as forced attendance, for chronically absent students. Persistent absences without valid excuse could lead to fines, up to a maximum of 1500 euros, as enforced by the police in Rhineland-Palatinate.
