- Parents in Baar are reporting their children sick for extended weekends.
- Zug canton does not offer “joker days,” requiring vacation requests for absences.
- Schools report multiple cases annually of parents attempting to excuse their children from class this way.
- Repeated offenses can result in significant fines.
- Fines of up to 5,000 Swiss francs are possible.
A family in Baar chose to report their three children as ill to take an extended weekend trip abroad. This practice, as reported by the «Zuger Zeitung», is not an isolated incident within the Canton of Zug. Unlike cantons such as Zurich, Aargau, or Graubünden, Zug does not have so-called “joker days”—days or half-days students can miss without providing a reason.
According to Education Director Stephan Schleiss, parents in Zug must submit a vacation request if their children are to be excused from school, and these requests are then reviewed. The case highlights a growing concern over parents circumventing the proper procedures for student absences. Many parents in Zug appear to be bypassing this process by either improperly excusing their children or providing false reasons for their absence.
Five to Ten School Attendance Violations Per Year
The school president of the Baar school where the incident occurred reported that they face five to ten such cases each school year. When teachers suspect a violation of compulsory schooling, they contact the school administration and principal. Parents are then asked for a statement, which determines the next steps. An official report is typically filed every other year.
Fines Up to 5,000 Swiss Francs
The cantonal school law stipulates that violating compulsory schooling can result in fines ranging from 100 to 5,000 Swiss francs. Typically, a first offense results in a warning, but repeated violations lead to a report. The amount of the fine is then determined by the law enforcement authorities. The parents in Baar were convicted of violating the school law by penal order and must pay a fine of over 1,000 Swiss francs, according to the «Zuger Zeitung.»
In the Canton of Zurich, parents can too face fines of up to 5,000 Swiss francs for failing to fulfill their duties regarding their children’s school attendance. In St. Gallen, an order fine is levied: 200 Swiss francs are due for each missed half-day of school. More serious cases can lead to criminal charges, according to the regulations for absences.
Hast du schon einmal die Schule geschwänzt?
