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Compulsory Education Age

6–18 (inclusive; in some states, the age has changed from 6 to 5)

Legal Status

Article 6 of the Constitution provides that “(1) Marriage and family are under the special protection of the state. (2) Care and upbringing of children are the natural right of the parents and primarily their duty. The state supervises the exercise of the same.” German law, while recognizing this priority of parental responsibility, does not permit homeschooling based on the religious or pedagogical convictions of parents; it is allowed only for medical reasons, and even then is rarely permitted.

There are, however, a certain number of Germans, including some associated with Christian communities, who are educating their children at home, though not without legal difficulties. As homeschooling grows, more families have fled the country in response to the difficulty they experience.

Contact Information

Netzwerk Bildungsfreiheit

Website: home-education.eu/
Contact: Dr. Andreas Vogt Esq.
Address: Niederhoner Str. 20
D-37269 Eschwege
Phone: +49 (0) 5651 / 3350 250
Fax: +49 (0) 5651 / 3350 251
Email: kontakt@netzwerk-bildungsfreiheit.de

Schulunterricht zu Hause E.V.

Website: www.schuzh.de
Contact: Armin Eckermann, Esq.
Address: Buchwaldstr. 16
D-63303 Dreieich
Phone: +49 (0) 6103 / 802 4969
Fax: +49 (0) 6103 / 602 372
Email: info@schuzh.de

Der Blaue Brief

(Blog Advocating for Freedom of Education in Germany)
Blog: derblauebrief.net


Additional Resources

 Germany's Home-schooling Rebellion

A video report from Al-Jazeera on the status of homeschooling in Germany.

 Zwei mal Homeoffice, vier mal Homes-Schooling: Mutter über Corona-Alltag

Everyday life in the times of Corona: the parents work from home, the four children recieve stacked worksheets and school assignments every week. How does that work? Better than expected!