The practice of several German states resorting to juvenile detention as a punishment for persistent truancy is facing a blistering critique from the Education and Science Union (GEW), raising serious questions about the efficacy and ethical implications of current school policies. GEW Chairwoman Anja Bensinger-Stolze has characterized the use of custodial sentences for school absenteeism as a “a fundamental declaration of bankruptcy” in educational and pedagogical approaches, adding that it is frequently ineffective and even counterproductive.
The union is advocating for a significant shift in strategy, urging policymakers to prioritize preventative measures over reactive punishments and to emphasize education over penalization. Bensinger-Stolze emphasized the necessity of a three-pronged approach to tackle rising school absenteeism: the development of comprehensive school-based prevention programs, the implementation of an early warning system to identify at-risk students and individualized assessments addressing the root causes of truancy.
Experts note a concerning increase in school refusal rates across Germany, with children from disadvantaged and “educationally distant” families disproportionately affected. The escalating numbers highlight a deeper societal issue linked to inequality and access to supportive environments.
Alarming figures reveal that hundreds of students annually face juvenile detention in Germany, with Lower Saxony emerging as a leading example of this controversial practice. Recent data for the first half of 2025 indicates 241 male and 114 female students were subjected to arrest in Lower Saxony alone, a figure exacerbated by the state’s absorption of students from Bremen, which lacks its own juvenile detention facilities. Other states including Hesse (48), Baden-Württemberg (33), Thuringia (25) and Schleswig-Holstein (14) also report substantial numbers of students experiencing this harsh consequence due to truancy.
Critics argue that Lower Saxony’s defense of the practice – claiming that juvenile detention is a “fundamentally suitable means” of influencing young people – is a misguided justification for a punitive approach lacking in pedagogical merit. The lack of data from several states, including Bavaria, Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia, further obscures the full extent of the problem and hinders a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of current policies. The failure of Saxony-Anhalt’s Justice Ministry to respond to inquiries has also drawn criticism.
The GEW’s strong condemnation and the statistical evidence underscore the urgent need for a fundamental reassessment of how Germany addresses school absenteeism, moving beyond punitive measures and focusing on tailored interventions and proactive support systems that address the complex factors driving this concerning trend.
