Education is compulsory in Germany, and each federal state has its own education law. These laws are based on the Basic Law (Art. 7 (1) GG), or the German Constitution. Education is compulsory in Germany for all children aged 6 to 18. All children must attend school full-time until the 9th or 10th grade and are then required to undertake vocational training unless they attend a general education school, e.g. a secondary school with an academic focus known as a 'Gymnasium' in Germany.
Children and young people subject to compulsory education requirements in Germany may not be homeschooled by their parents or a private tutor. Parents who defy this law are committing an administrative offence and may be required to pay fines. Compulsory education requires children and adolescents to attend in-person classes and simultaneously prohibits private instruction at home.
The education laws of the federal states define the responsibilities, rights and obligations of schools and teachers and specify what students must learn, the length of the school day, and when school holidays take place.
Are there any exceptions to the compulsory education requirement?
Exceptions to the compulsory education requirement are limited and regulated strictly by the federal states.
In Germany, for instance, exceptions to the requirement for in-person instruction were permitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Federal Constitutional Court confirmed that the school closures ordered at that time were lawful, it also emphasized the right of children and adolescents to an education.
Homeschooling exceptions apply if children have a specific physical or mental illness or disability, for example. Pregnant adolescents of school age may also be exempted from the requirement to attend in-person classes under the Maternity Protection Act, provided they can present a medical certificate.
Temporary exceptions to compulsory education
If a family wishes to move abroad temporarily and a child is to be exempted from attending school during this period, you should first schedule a meeting with the school administration to discuss the plan. The relevant school district office must also be involved subsequently.
An exemption from compulsory education requirements must always be requested in writing from the school administration or the relevant school authority. Please note that specific regulations may vary by state, particularly with regard to compulsory education after the 9th or 10th year of school. There is no universally applicable regulation regarding the temporary suspension of compulsory education.
In general, parents must demonstrate that their child continues to receive an appropriate education during their absence from school. This could be achieved, for instance, by enrolling the child in a suitable school in the country of residence or by providing equivalent instruction, such as distance learning. Attending a German school abroad may also be a possible solution.
The key is to convince both the school and the school district that an equivalent education is guaranteed. Possible options include:
Federal Foreign Office: World map of schools abroad (in German)
As well as regular schools, there are mobile schools in North Rhine-Westphalia, for example. These are used primarily to teach children whose parents work in the circus. The mobile schools operate on the basis of fully-equipped rolling classrooms, i.e. wagons transported from place to place by circus companies, or cars driven by teachers to the respective circus locations. The mobile classrooms contain all the necessary teaching materials.
School for circus children in North Rhine-Westphalia (webpage in German)
Almost all colleges of music in Germany offer programmes that allow young people to begin specialized studies in their chosen subject before earning their general university entrance qualification. These special incentive programmes for particularly talented young people are generally open to international students as well. Please note that students in these programmes are usually considered 'guest auditors' and do not have student status. The programme runs alongside their school classes. Accordingly, the compulsory education requirements in Germany continue to apply, even for international students.
German colleges of music: early talent development institutes (in German)