Lower Saxony & Bremen
Extended summer holidays can be expensive
03.08.2024, 07:34
Monday is the first day of school after the summer holidays in Lower Saxony and Bremen. Anyone who takes a longer holiday can expect to be fined.
The local authorities are responsible and must take action based on reports from schools. Legally speaking, skipping school – even at off-peak times such as before and after school holidays – is an administrative offence.
A ministry spokeswoman said that compulsory school attendance, which is enshrined in law, is a valuable asset. This obligation applies just as much before and after school holidays. “In the case of deliberate but unjustified absence from school, parents should also be aware of their role model function,” the spokeswoman said.
Some unauthorized holiday extensions in the past in Bremen
Exceptions must be requested in writing and justified, it said. The school administration decides on the exemption of a student. The state does not keep statistics on the number of violations of compulsory school attendance.
In Bremen, too, there is a risk of fines for extended holidays: According to the education department, these range between 35 and 250 euros plus an administration fee of 28.50 euros. According to current information, more than 150 fines were issued in the 2023/24 school year for unauthorized holiday extensions. In the previous school year, there were 141 fines.
