Stubborn parents have been bothering the justice system and authorities for some time: they do not send their children to school, but they also do not meet the requirements for home education. The problem is virulent in some states. The Ministry of Education admits that the requirements are unclear.
The number of proceedings and complaints about violations of compulsory education has exploded in some states. Also in Tyrol! As reported, 22 Tyrolean children have disappeared from the school system. The parents do not meet the requirements for homeschooling. Yet they no longer send the children back to school.
Those affected are responding to the district authorities’ sanctions with a flood of complaints to the state administrative court. For comparison, one complaint was registered in 2020 and 131 the year before. This is not a Tyrolean phenomenon. A similar picture is emerging in several states: stubborn parents are a major concern for the government and the judiciary.
Minister promises further tightening
The “Krone” confronted Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) with the worrying development. The responsibility for enforcing compulsory education lies with the ministry, but also with the education directorates in the states. The district authorities were called in for enforcement. Polaschek admits that there are probably one or two inaccuracies in the wording of compulsory education. And he offers the prospect of further tightening: “It is being investigated whether there is a need for further legal development.”
When asked whether the possibility of homeschooling itself should be reconsidered, the Minister of Education responded by pointing to the tightening of regulations for the approval of homeschooling that was introduced last year. But new requirements may also arise there. “The ministry is evaluating the innovations and defining possible opportunities for further development,” it said.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
