In Nuremberg, pupils at the Dürer-Gymnasium who frequently miss school without an excuse or are late will have to expect financial consequences in the future. As the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation (BR) reports, the school wants to use the fines to convince those pupils who have not yet been reached with conversations or warnings.

According to reports from BR, since last May the fines have only been imposed on students in grades nine to eleven who are absent without excuse or frequently arrive late. This concerns “a small proportion of students who cannot be motivated in any other way,” said Reiner Geißdörfer, the head of the educational institution. “We don’t want to lose the students,” the headmaster emphasized to BR.

According to Geißdörfer, students who arrive late disrupt the entire process and cause increased frustration among teachers and classmates. The headmaster stresses that the students affected are old enough to know what they want and whether they really want to achieve a higher school qualification. Despite a wide range of offers and support offered by his school, around five percent of the students show “a strange lack of interest”.

The city of Nuremberg’s fine office can now impose fines of up to five euros per day on which a student is absent without excuse or is late. As BR reports, the measure has been enforced at the Nuremberg high school since May 2024.

The introduction of fines has already had positive effects. Just the notification that fines would be imposed in the future led to students arriving at school more punctually, according to BR. So far, only one case has actually had to be referred to the fines office.

However, the Nuremberg school principal emphasizes that he also recognizes what lies behind the frustration of some students with school: “We need fewer performance assessments and more flexibility in dealing with the curriculum,” says Geißdörfer. Family problems also often play a role in truancy.

He also stressed to BR the need for school reforms: “School must become a place where you know why you are here,” said Geißdörfer. The pupils affected by the fines are almost always those who are at risk of failing at school, said the headmaster. This also requires more social workers in German schools.

However, the measure taken by the Nuremberg high school is nothing new. According to the official catalogue of fines, high fines can already be imposed on truants in Germany. The nationwide compulsory schooling of at least nine years does not allow pupils to stay away without a valid reason.

However, if you stay away from school despite compulsory schooling, you face high fines for this administrative offence – if you skip vocational school, you even risk losing your apprenticeship.

However, the penalties can vary greatly depending on the federal state, according to the catalogue of fines. For example, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Bavaria the fine only goes up to 1,000 euros. In Berlin, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, truants face fines of up to 2,500 euros.

However, the fines only represent fixed upper limits and are not imposed for the first absence. However, if the fines are not paid or there is no improvement in behavior, imprisonment can even be threatened: “In some federal states, students who consistently skip school can even be prosecuted. Those affected can then expect a fine of up to 180 daily rates or a prison sentence of up to six months,” the catalog of fines states.

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