Truancy

Truancy is understood as recurrent or prolonged and usually unexcused absence from school. Truancy often starts with hourly absences or occasional truancy and can go as far as complete refusal to attend school.

School refusal can have very different causes, e.g. fear of performance failure, avoidance of social assessments, lack of motivation to learn, disregard for rules and norms, general dislike of school or mental illness. The reasons may also lie in the social environment, e.g. bullying or conflicts with classmates or teachers. In order to be able to react appropriately in individual cases, the respective reasons for the refusal must therefore be taken into account. Often the pupils have to be motivated to attend school again and need targeted school support. Here, school-based measures are necessary which, in addition to sensitising teachers, should include a high level of individual attention for the pupils concerned.

In the case of truancy, all schools in Hessen receive advice and support from the responsible school psychologists at the State Education Offices. In case of indications of neglect or endangerment of the child's well-being as a possible cause for absence from school, the schools cooperate closely with the youth welfare offices.

Every pupil is legally obliged to attend school regularly. Parents must ensure that underage pupils can attend classes without restriction. Violations of compulsory school attendance are generally treated as a misdemeanour, which can be punished with a fine or, in the case of pupils after the age of 14, with community service. In justified individual cases, the child or young person may also be forcibly taken to school. If parents persistently and persistently deprive their child of compulsory school attendance, they may be punished with a custodial sentence of up to 6 months or a fine of up to 180 daily rates. However, before taking the appropriate coercive measures, the school should first have exhausted all educational measures.