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We have all been late for class before. Whether it’s because you missed your bus or because you could not pull yourself away from your friends – it happens and normally isn’t that big a deal.
It is when students start to be late all the time that it becomes an issue.
In what might be conceived a rather unconventional approach to the problem, the Dürer high school in Nuremberg, Germany, has begun charging perennial offenders €5 (US$5.20) if they are constantly late for class without an excuse.
When headmaster Reiner Geissdörfer announced the new rules in 2024, it caused quite a stir.

A few months later, it is not just him who says the measure is working.
According to the student council, the number of latecomers has decreased significantly since the fine was introduced.
Geissdörfer explains that the new measure isn’t really about the punishment. “It’s not that we take out the whip and are giving lashes.”
“We have too many children who, for whatever reason, don’t make it to school on time.”
Those kids, the headmaster says, don’t care if you threaten to expel them. “But the €5 fine really bothers them.”
However, the school only fines students as a last resort – if talking to parents, teachers, school psychologists and social workers does not help.
So far, it has only been imposed in isolated cases and only applies to years nine to 11, Geissdörfer says.
Above all, the introduction of the fine has led to greater awareness of the problem, the headmaster says.
The fine does not affect most of the students. It’s just a few individuals who were constantly late
A student representative at Dürer high school
The school now keeps a digital record of all students who skip class or arrive late, which helps to identify problems early on.
“By the time pupils start attracting attention, it’s usually already too late,” Geissdörfer says.
He estimates that some five per cent to 10 per cent of students have so little interest in school that it could jeopardise their chances of graduating, regardless of how gifted they are.
No reliable data is available in the state of Bavaria, where Nuremberg is located, on the number of pupils who are occasionally or regularly late to class or skip school.
It is the responsibility of each school to record such offences, a spokeswoman for the state Education Ministry says.
In exceptional cases, the district administrative authorities could impose a fine at the request of schools or school supervisory authorities, she says.
In the case of the Dürer high school, that is the city of Nuremberg.
According to the school department, local schools reported students missing class around 1,500 times in 2023 either because of being late or missing entire days, up from almost 1,250 the year before.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, that figure stood at around 800.
Geissdörfer says other schools have reached out to him to hear how the new measure is working out.

According to the German Teachers’ Association, when and in which cases fines are imposed for being late or skipping school varies from state to state.
The state of Berlin has tightened its regulations, says German Teachers’ Association president Stefan Düll. After a student is late for class three times, they are considered to have missed a lesson, which in turn could add up to a missed day.
After five missed days in a school term, the school can file a report with the education authority, which could result in fines.
“The Berlin measure is intended to send a signal that schools are no longer willing to watch,” Düll says.
According to experts, students are repeatedly late for school or skip class altogether for a number of different reasons – and that was true even before the pandemic hit.
However, Düll believes school closures during lockdown may have contributed to some students losing interest in their education.
According to the Bavarian School Principals’ Association, the number of young people with mental health issues has risen sharply since the pandemic, which in turn could lead to school phobia or truancy.
However, Geissdörfer also thinks that schools share some of the responsibility. He advocates a shift away from exams and surprise tests in favour of more project-based learning, which encourages students to take an active role in acquiring knowledge.
And what do the students at the Dürer high school think about all of this? Has the threat of a fine worsened their relationship with their teachers and headmaster?
“No,” says a student representative who did not want to give his name.
“Many students were initially shocked,” he says, adding that their perspective shifted once the school management provided a more detailed explanation.
“The fine does not affect most of the students,” he says. “It’s just a few individuals who were constantly late.”
Latecomers who interrupt the class in the middle of a lesson affect everyone, he adds.


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The headmaster at Nuremburg’s Dürer high school caused a stir by introducing a fine for perpetual latecomers, but students recognise its effectiveness. Photo: Instagram/sadolgas

The Dürer high school in Nuremberg, Germany. The student council says the number of latecomers has decreased significantly since the fine was introduced. Photo: Instagram/michlmueller

The name of the school painted on a wall. It keeps digital records of all students who skip class or arrive late. Photo: Instagram/sadolgas

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Lifestyle

A Nuremberg high school’s fine for students who are regularly late led them to change their ways. It highlights a growing problem in Germany


A Nuremberg high school’s fine for students who are regularly late led them to change their ways. It highlights a growing problem in Germany.


Germany

Parenting: teens