Compulsory schooling

Synonyms in a broader sense

engl .: compulsory education, school attendance, compulsory school attendance, compulsory schooling

definition

A child's compulsory schooling, also called full-time schooling, usually begins in Germany for all children who have reached the age of six by a certain point in time. The definition went into the exceptions.

Due to an amendment to the law by the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) on October 24th, 1997, the individual federal states were allowed to postpone the cut-off date for compulsory full-time schooling or school enrollment, so that ever younger children can start school. Some federal states made use of this law (see compulsory education in the individual federal states)

Read more on the topic: Checklist for school enrollment - what does my child need? and enrollment

Compulsory full-time schooling usually lasts a total of nine years, i.e. it is fulfilled by attending primary and lower secondary school. Compulsory schooling can be extended by one year at the request of the parents by the school principal. An extension of two years can only be made in exceptional cases. Special measures apply for this.

The legal guardians are responsible for overseeing the monitoring of compulsory education. They take care of both the registration and deregistration and excuse the lack of lessons. If compulsory schooling is not observed in the intended way, various measures can be taken to implement them accordingly. In addition, legal guardians are obliged to adequately equip their school-age children for school attendance.

If a child is postponed for a maximum of one school year due to special abnormalities, i.e. postponed from attending school, this year is not counted towards the duration of compulsory schooling.

Compulsory schooling

A child's compulsory schooling, also known as compulsory full-time schooling, usually begins for all children who have reached the age of six by a certain point in time. The definition went into the exceptions.

Due to an amendment to the law by the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) on October 24, 1997, the individual federal states were allowed to move back the cut-off date for compulsory full-time schooling and thus enable increasingly younger children to start school. Some federal states made use of this law (see compulsory education in the individual federal states).

Compulsory full-time schooling usually lasts a total of nine years, i.e. it is fulfilled by attending primary and lower secondary school. Compulsory schooling can be extended by one year at the request of the parents by the school principal. An extension of two years can only be made in exceptional cases. Special measures apply for this.

The legal guardians are responsible for overseeing the monitoring of compulsory education. They take care of both the registration and deregistration and excuse the lack of lessons. If compulsory schooling is not observed in the intended way, various measures can be taken to implement them accordingly. In addition, legal guardians are obliged to adequately equip their school-age children for school attendance.

If a child is postponed for a maximum of one school year due to special abnormalities, i.e. postponed from attending school, this year is not counted towards the duration of compulsory schooling.

You might also be interested in this topic: Heat-free in school

Compulsory schooling in the individual federal states

Compulsory schooling in Hessen

  • timely training
    • All children who by 30.6. have reached the age of 6 or have already been postponed from attending school.
  • early enrollment
    • At the request of the parents, children who are born after 30.6. and before 31.12. start school at the age of 6. If they reach the age of 6 after 31.12. An additional school psychological examination can be used to check the mental and emotional development.
  • Postponing school attendance
    • Children can be deferred who, despite reaching the age of 6, by 30.6. do not meet the requirements for successful participation in lessons in the first school year.

Compulsory schooling in Bavaria

  • timely training
    • In Bavaria, the cut-off date for compulsory full-time schooling has been pushed back further and further in recent years. The aim is to use December 31st as the reference date for the 2010/2011 school year. to reach. In the school year 2009/2010, all children who come to school by 30.11. have reached the age of 6.
  • early enrollment
    • The following applies for the school year 2009/2010: at the request of the parents, children who are 6 years of age after November 30th and before December 31st can start school early. Children who after 31.12. the age of 6 can be accepted upon written request from parents. In order to be able to assess the mental and emotional development, an additional school psychological examination can be arranged.
  • Postponing school attendance
    • All children who, despite the fact that they are 6 years old, by 31.12. do not meet the physical and mental requirements for successful participation in the first year of school.

What does the school year consist of and who determines it? Read the next article on the topic of everyday school life at this point: School year

Compulsory schooling in Baden Württemberg

  • timely training
    • In Baden Württemberg, too, the cut-off date for compulsory full-time schooling has been shifted further and further back in annual steps. The current deadline is September 30th. and consequently all children who have reached the age of 6 by this time are required to attend school.
  • early enrollment
    • Children who are up to 30.6. of the following calendar year, they can start school early at the request of the parents. The decision is made by the headmaster after examining the mental and physical development.
  • Postponing school attendance
    • If it is to be expected that a child will not be able to attend classes due to their physical and mental development despite full-time schooling, they can be postponed from attending school for one year.

School attendance is compulsory in Rhineland Palatinate

  • timely training
    • Since the school year 2008/2009, all children are required to attend school who are up to 31.8. have reached the age of 6.
  • early enrollment
    • At the request of the parents, children who are not yet of compulsory schooling can start school early. The school principal makes the decision in agreement with the school doctor, the parents and the daycare center.
  • Downgrading from school attendance
    • A deferral can be initiated once if it can be assumed that the child will not be able to successfully attend classes in the first school year for health reasons. The school also makes the decision.

Compulsory schooling in Saarland

  • timely training
    • All children who by 30.6. have reached the age of 6, on 1.8. compulsory schooling.
  • early enrollment
    • At the request of the parents, children can be allowed until 31.12. have reached the age of 6 to start school early. Children who only turn 6 years of age in the following calendar year can start school early on request, but both the school doctor and the school psychologist will be consulted to make a decision.
  • Downgrading from school attendance

Compulsory schooling in NRW

  • timely training
    • NRW is also moving the start of compulsory full-time schooling further forward. Within a time frame of seven years, the key date will be June 30th. postponed to 31.12. This ultimate goal is to be achieved in the 2014/2015 school year. In the 2009/2010 school year, August 31 is currently valid. as a reference date. All children who have reached the age of 6 by this point in time are therefore required to attend school.
  • early enrollment
    • At the request of the parents, children can also be enrolled in school before the compulsory full-time schooling date.
  • Downgrading from school attendance

Compulsory schooling in Lower Saxony

  • timely training
    • All children who by 30.6. have reached the age of 6.
  • early enrollment
    • At the request of the parents, children who are not yet of compulsory schooling can be admitted to school. The prerequisite for this is that they are able to attend school physically and mentally and that their social behavior is sufficiently developed. The headmaster makes the decision.
  • Downgrading from school attendance
    • School-age children whose physical and mental abilities and their social behavior are not yet able to follow the lessons of the first year of school can be postponed from attending school for one year.

Compulsory schooling in Bremen

  • timely training
    • All children who by 30.6. have reached the age of 6.
  • early enrollment
    • At the request of the parents, children can be admitted to school early if they are between 30.6. and the 31.12. complete their 6th year of life. Children who are up to 30.6. When they reach the age of 5, school attendance can also be compulsory upon application and verification by the school, provided that the child has the appropriate linguistic, cognitive and social skills and it can be assumed that they will be able to participate successfully in the first year of school and therefore not is overwhelmed.
  • Downgrading from school attendance
    • Due to significant health reasons, a child can be postponed from class for a maximum of one year in consultation with the school doctor.

Compulsory schooling in Hamburg

  • timely training
    • All children who are up to 1.7. have reached the age of 6.
  • early enrollment
    • At the request of the parents, children who are born after 30.6. complete their 6th year of age, start school early. It is particularly important to consider the physical, mental, emotional and linguistic level of development.
  • Downgrading from school attendance
    • Children who between 1.1. and the 30.6. They can postpone school attendance at the age of 6 if their physical, mental, emotional and linguistic development casts doubt on their successful participation in the class.

Compulsory schooling in Schleswig Holstein

  • timely training
    • All children who by 30.6. have reached the age of 6.
  • early enrollment
  • Downgrading from school attendance
    • As a rule, deferral should no longer take place; instead, targeted support should be given in primary school (the entry phase).

Compulsory schooling in Berlin

  • timely training
    • Children are required to attend school in the year in which they turn 6. The key date is therefore December 31.
  • early enrollment
  • Downgrading from school attendance
    • There are no more deferrals. Instead, the "flexible school entry phase" was created, through which the children are given time to complete the first two school years in one, two or three school years, depending on their ability. If the child needs 3 years, that one year is not counted as "sitting down".

Compulsory schooling in Brandenburg

  • timely training
    • For all children who by 30.9. have reached the age of 6, starts on 1.8. officially compulsory full-time education.
  • early enrollment
    • Children who from 1.10 to 31.12. If they reach the age of 6, they can start school early at the request of their parents. In justified exceptional cases, the deadline can also be later.
  • Downgrading from school attendance

Compulsory schooling in Saxony

  • timely training
    • All children who by 30.6. have reached the age of 6. At the request of the parents, children can also be enrolled until 30.9. complete their 6th year of life. The headmaster then decides on admission.
  • early enrollment
    • At the request of the parents, children who have reached the age of 6 after the two deadlines can start school early. However, it must be questioned whether the child is mentally and physically capable of successfully taking part in lessons in the first year of school.
  • Downgrading from school attendance
    • Children who are physically and mentally insufficiently developed so that successful participation in lessons in the first year of school can be assumed can be postponed from lessons for a maximum of one year.

Compulsory schooling in Saxony-Anhalt

  • timely training
    • All children who by 30.6. complete their 6th year of life.
  • early enrollment
    • Children who are up to 30.6. have reached the age of 5, can start school early at the request of the parents, provided that the physical and mental development as well as the social behavior indicate that they can successfully participate in the class.
  • Downgrading from school attendance

Compulsory schooling in Mecklenburg Western Pomerania

  • timely training
    • All children who by 30.6. complete their 6th year of life.
  • early enrollment
    • At the request of the parents, children who are up to 31.12. complete the 6th year of life, start school early, provided the physical, mental and social development of the children allows.
  • Downgrading from school attendance

Compulsory schooling in Thuringia

  • timely training
    • For all children who on 1.8. have completed their 6th year of age, compulsory full-time schooling begins on the same day.
  • early enrollment
    • Children who are up to 30.6. have reached the age of 5, can be admitted to school early at the request of the parents. The headmaster decides on this in consultation with the school doctor.
  • Downgrading from school attendance
    • Children who are of compulsory schooling, but whose level of development it can be assumed that they cannot successfully participate in lessons in the first school year, can be postponed for a maximum of one school year from the start of school.

Related topics

More information about Partial performance weaknesses can be found at:

  • Dyslexia
  • Causes of Dyslexia
  • Symptoms of dyslexia
  • Diagnosing dyslexia
  • Early detection of dyslexia
  • Therapy for dyslexia

More information about Problems with learning can be found at:

  • ADHD
  • ADS
  • Poor concentration
  • Speech disorders
  • Giftedness
  • Educational games

A list of all the topics that we have published under our "Problems with Learning" page can be found at: Problems with learning A-Z