Father defends himself against compulsory schooling: Lucas prefers to learn at home!

Father defends himself against compulsory schooling: Lucas prefers to learn at home!

in a apartment block in Dresden, where the walls tell the stories of many families, 16-year-old Lucas lives with his single father, Martin Heinrich. Lucas left school in December 2023 and has been training at home since then. His father, who perceives compulsory schooling in Germany, fights against bureaucratic hurdles to support his son in an alternative learning environment. The case has now stirred the local society and raises important questions about compulsory schooling.

"I don't want my son to go there", Martin Heinrich describes his worries about the schooling of his son. Since Lucas struggled with a reading and spelling weakness in elementary school, the relationship with the school institution has deteriorated. This problem was not adequately recognized and promoted in high school. For Martin it is clear that the German education system is not the right answer to his son's needs. He and Lucas sees himself and Lucas as the victim of a "broken system", and this is reminiscent of the general discussions about the compulsory schooling, which has existed in Germany for many years. Deutschlandfunk reports that in Germany children from the age of six have to go to school for at least nine years, which even includes ten years in some federal states.

A father fights against the system

Martin Heinrich is not only concerned about his son's learning environment, but also about the legal consequences. After receiving several fine of the Saxon School Act because of the violation of the Saxon School Act, he had to face a penalty of 500 euros at the Dresden District Court, which he did not accept. The Saxon School Act stipulates that schools have an educational mandate and that all children have to receive fundamental education. Here, the legal compulsory schooling, as in the Saxon School Act, is written seriously.

When parents refuse to send their children to school, they not only finish fines, but also the loss of custody if the child's welfare is at risk. Martin Heinrich sees himself in a system in which around eight million students go to school in Germany and are repeatedly reported by cases of school refusal. The numbers show that it is estimated that between 500 and 1,000 children remain away from class.

alternative educational paths

While many parents still rely on the traditional school system, Martin Heinrich is considering alternative learning concepts. Lucas has now found its own way to learn. He deals with various topics autodidactically and uses learning apps such as "Duolingo" and "Mathegym". Every now and then he gets support from a high school teacher who teaches him privately. His leisure activities also shows how versatile learning is: cycling, baking bread and karate. These creative approaches represent a positive aspect for his father, especially in view of the positive experiences during corona pandemic and homeschooling.

The school did not remain the right choice for Lucas. However, his wishes are clear: he wants to study psychology, but knows that the Abitur is necessary. Here the question arises how these students can achieve their educational goals without taking the path through the classic school system. This problem is loudly questioned by many parents, especially after the Corona crisis.

Martin Heinrich Plant to draw the Federal Constitutional Court to argue against the compulsory schooling and to create better framework conditions for alternative learning methods. The discussion about compulsory schooling is not new, and many critics argue that it restricts freedom of education and does not sufficiently respond to the individual needs of children. It remains to be seen how this case is treated by the authorities and whether the attitude towards alternative educational approaches will change.