3000 franc fine Mother takes daughter on vacation during school hours
A mother ignored a rejected dispensation request - and went on vacation with her 14-year-old daughter anyway. She was fined 3,000 francs.
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- The mother of a 14-year-old went on vacation with her daughter during her compulsory schooling.
- The parent or guardian ignored a rejected request for dispensation.
- She received a penalty order for 3,000 francs.
- On Thursday, the Winterthur district court will decide on the mother's appeal.
The case took place back in 2023, but is still before the court today: a 51-year-old woman from Winterthur wanted to take her 14-year-old daughter away for an extra week during the sports vacations.
On 9 January 2023, she submitted a request to her daughter's secondary school for an additional week's vacation, as reported by "20 Minuten". However, the school rejected the request. The reason: important career choice tests were taking place at school that very week.
However, this did not prevent the mother and daughter from traveling anyway. Of course, the school management did not fail to notice the pupil's absence. They issued a penalty order against the mother.
The charges were aggravated by the fact that the girl's academic performance in the school year was rated as unsatisfactory. The high number of absences was also a factor: the pupil was absent for 36 half-days in the first semester, six of which were unexcused. The fine amounts to 3,000 francs.
Violation of compulsory school attendance
Parents are obliged to keep to their children's vacation times. According to the penalty order, the mother violated her "parental duty to ensure her child's regular school attendance" in accordance with Article 57 of the cantonal primary school ordinance.
Article 57 of the cantonal primary school ordinance obliges parents and third parties to bear responsibility for the child's upbringing, regular school attendance, the fulfillment of compulsory schooling and the associated duties.
The mother has appealed against the penalty order. The Winterthur District Court must now decide. The case will come before the judge on Thursday. If the mother fails with her appeal, she will face additional court costs of 900 francs.