Overview
- Thüringen will file an Entschließungsantrag in the Bundesrat this Friday asking federal and state bodies to publicly reaffirm and strengthen the general Schulpflicht as a central principle of the education system.
- The measure is a direct response to an AfD Sachsen-Anhalt proposal that would replace compulsory school attendance with a 'Bildungspflicht' allowing parents to choose home schooling.
- Thuringian AfD leader Björn Höcke has backed loosening Schulpflicht, saying home instruction could be allowed if students are regularly checked, and the party has detailed other wide-ranging education changes in its Sachsen-Anhalt programme.
- Critics including CDU politicians warn the AfD plans could cause rural school closures and weaken political-education programs, while experts note that state ministries can quickly change curricula and school initiatives even though Schulpflicht is enshrined in state law.
- The debate is sharpened by security concerns because the AfD state associations in Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen are classified as right-wing extremist by Landesverfassungsschutzämter, a fact that shapes political and institutional reactions and will influence how the Bundesrat and Bundesregierung respond.