Compulsory school attendance violation: mother caught with son at Memmingen Airport!

Compulsory school attendance violation: mother caught with son at Memmingen Airport!

On Monday, May 12, 2025, a worrying situation involving a mother and her 10-year-old son was identified at Memmingen Airport. During an immigration check that took place on a flight from Pristina in Kosovo, the woman was unable to present an official school exemption for the travel period. As the Swabian reported, the mother was informed about the legal regulations regarding compulsory schooling in Bavaria, as there were no school holidays at that time.

The police check revealed that the mother expected this situation, but went on the trip without the necessary documents. She had to ask herself why her son, who is subject to compulsory education, was absent for this trip without official permission. In Germany, compulsory schooling applies from ages 6 to 18, which sets a clear framework for parents' responsibilities.

Consequences for the mother

The mother now faces the possibility of being confronted with a complaint under the Bavarian Law on Education and Teaching for this administrative offense. The relevant law provides for fines that can amount to up to 1000 euros. These penalties can be issued for various breaches of duty, including failure to ensure regular class attendance, as in Bavarian law is expressly specified.

Similar incidents had already been registered at Memmingen Airport in the previous days, in which parents were traveling without official school exemptions. The border police inspection found that there was an above-average number of suspected school violations. In several cases, children appeared to have been falsely reported as sick in order to avoid compulsory schooling. A particularly notable case was that of a father who mistakenly stated that he was on vacation in Baden-Württemberg, which was not true.

Relevant regulations and legal background

Bavarian law regulates that parents are obliged to register their children in school and to ensure their regular attendance. In addition, fines can also be imposed if children do not appear at mandatory school events. Given the frequency of such incidents, it is evident that there is a need for increased awareness of the importance of compulsory schooling.

The recent cases at Memmingen Airport raise important questions about the compliance of parents when dealing with school-age children. The demand for proper school exemption is not only a bureaucratic requirement, but also a sign of the responsibility that parents have towards their children's education.