Police at a German airport have fined parents for going on vacation before the official start of school holidays. School attendance is compulsory in Germany.
Advertisement
Police stationed at a Bavarian airport fined several parents for taking their children on holiday before the official start of school holidays, local media reported on Sunday.
School truancy is treated seriously in Germany and parents can be held liable if children do not attend school from age six to 16.
Some kids are thrilled, others dread it, but they can't avoid it. The first day of school in Germany is full of rituals - some of which date back hundreds of years.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/P. Steffen
A cone full of presents
The most important part of every German child's first day of school is the "Schultüte," or school cone. Apparently the thought of attending school every day for the next 12-13 years has to be "sweetened" with candy and presents - a tradition that dates back to the early 19th century. Parents fill the cones, either homemade or purchased, with treats, school supplies and small gifts.
Image: imago/Kickner
The start of a new phase
Most children in Germany are six years old when they start school in August or September, depending on which state they live in. The majority of them have already spent a few years in daycare or pre-school, which is not part of the public school and is less pedagogical in nature. For kids in Germany - and often their parents too -, first grade is a big adjustment.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S.Khan
Just the right backpack
Ahead of the first day of school, parents buy their new first-grader a backpack, known as a "Schulranzen." They're often made with a square frame to make sure papers don't get bent and snacks don't get squished. Later, their jeans brand will be important, but for first-graders, it's crucial to have the trendiest design on their backpack. Star Wars and Superman never go out of style.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
The school essentials
After they get their square backpack, it will need to be filled with pens, pencils, rulers and folders ahead of the first day. In Germany, particularly younger children often don't have lunch at school. Instead, they have a mid-morning snack time and go home or to daycare for a late lunch. To transport their "Pausenbrot," or "break bread," they'll need an appropriate box.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Gentsch
A day to remember
Many kids around the world pose for a first day of school photo. In Germany, they hold up their unopened "Schultüte" - which is often larger than they are - along with a sign reading something like "My first day of school." For many children, it's not the highlight of their big day.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. Hirschberger
Send-off with a blessing
The first day of school in Germany doesn't start with school - but with a special ceremony. Parents, relatives and godparents are invited to join in. An ecumenical church service is usually included in the tradition, giving the young pupils a special blessing as they mark a right of passage and embark on their educational journey. Some schools offer an interreligious ceremony for Muslim pupils.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Guidance from those with experience
During the ceremony, older children or teachers often give a small performance and explain to the newcomers how school works. In some schools, first-graders are assigned a buddy from third or fourth grade to show them the ropes.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/P. Steffen
Make yourself at home
A tour of the school is included in the introductory festivities and first-graders are shown their new classrooms, which are labeled "1A," "1B," "1C," etc. depending on the size of the school. This chalkboard reads, "Welcome, class 1A."
Image: picture alliance/dpa/G. Kirchner
The family get-together
After the ceremony at school, families organize their own celebrations. Grandparents, relatives, godparents and friends are invited for a meal or cake to see the youngster of honor off into the brave new world of education. The first-graders themselves probably get annoyed at all the head patting and cheek squeezing - but they usually get a few presents to make up for it.
Image: picture alliance/R. Goldmann
The second day of school
After the ceremony is over, the cake has been eaten and the cone of goodies unpacked, the first day of school draws to a close. The next day, the first-graders have to find their new classrooms for their first lesson. Elementary school in Germany includes grades one to four. After that, pupils move on to one of three different levels of secondary schools, depending on their academic performance.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/P. Steffen
10 images1 | 10
The airport crackdown
In the week leading up to the Pentecost holidays, six police officers checked families with children at Memmingen Airport, news magazine Der Spiegel reported.
If children were of school age, officers "gently pressured" parents for the name of their school, Stern reported.
The school was called to see if they had permission.
Ten families were charged with enabling truancy.
The fine for truancy can be as high as €1,000 ($1,177), Bayerischer Rundfunk reported.
"We have known about this phenomenon for a long time, and this is one of our tasks," a police spokesman told Der Spiegel. "If the teacher then says that they insist on the presence of the children, we have to bring them back." However, in these cases, the spokesman said the parents would likely just have to save a bit on their holiday to pay for the fine.
Bavarian police asked parents "not to take their children out of school before their holidays without school exemption." Parents must apply to the school for exemption and a decision is made by the headmaster.
Criticism from parents, unions
"It’s true that we have to adhere to the rules, but getting the police involved is a bit of an exaggeration," said Stephan Wassmuth, head of Germany’s Federal Parents Council.
The Education and Science Workers’ Union (GEW) agreed, saying that "it makes more sense to have a conversation with parents. Police involvement for individual cases is too strong a reaction."
Holiday prices: Despite strict laws against truancy, many parents try to avoid crowds and inflated flight prices by taking their children out of school a few days before the official start of vacation.
Pentecost holidays: Most western German states grant students a long weekend for the Pentecost weekend (May 19 to May 21), but Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg grant a full two weeks.
German school system: School education is free in Germany, with a basic education generally consisting of 10 years of schooling. Students may apply for university or career training after successfully finishing at least 12 years of schooling. Particular to Germany is a system that places students with a company for on-the-job training in addition to studies to prepare for a career. Homeschooling is illegal.