School refusal: family fights against fines and court ruling

School refusal: family fights against fines and court ruling

In a recent case in Sigmaringen, a girl's ongoing school problems have drawn the attention of the authorities. The girl's father said that his daughter was extremely uncomfortable with him having to appear in court. The background to this dispute is the daughter's decision in May not to go to school anymore. This led to a long and arduous process in which the school management was forced to file two reports of unexcused absences - once before the Whitsun holidays and once before the summer holidays, as the Schwäbische reported.

The situation came to a head when the school's principal testified as a witness and explained that he was initially against the advertisements, but ultimately had to come to the conclusion that action was necessary. The family was subsequently confronted with fines: one for 850 euros and another for 1,000 euros. Despite these adversities, luck seems to have been on the girl's side; She has been going back to school since September and is enjoying it.

The role of parents

The girl's parents appealed against the fine, citing their daughter's difficulties at school. Her father put the allegations against himself and his family into perspective and acknowledged that it was primarily a personal problem for his daughter. The judge recognized the situation as a “permanent administrative offense” because the student had not been to school for three months. In a surprising ruling, the fines were reduced to a total of 250 euros, but the family also has to pay the court costs.

This shines a bright light on a growing problem: school absenteeism. A report from Bildung MV shows that the authorities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania want to take decisive action against unexcused absences. Every teacher is obliged to check the number of students and to document absences. There are clear procedures in place to support schools in actively addressing this problem.

School challenges

The difficulties the girl experienced are not an isolated case. Many students today face similar challenges. Attending school can become a great burden for some children, which in many cases can lead to them dropping out or even refusing to go to school. It is up to society to help children and their families so that they can find a stable way to regain their place in the education system.

The story of the girl in Sigmaringen is an example of how important it is to respond to the individual needs of children as well as to observe the legal framework in order to effectively combat school absenteeism. Both schools and parents are called upon to find solutions together.