Berlin Maintains School Attendance Rules During Transit Strike

Berlin public schools will maintain compulsory schooling on Friday and Saturday despite the BVG warning strike that halts most surface and underground services. A circular letter sent by the education authorities to schools states that pupils must still attend unless they face a justified individual case with no alternative transport available.

Strike Limits Options for Many Families

The two-day action by BVG staff removes trams, underground trains and nearly all bus routes from service. Only the S-Bahn network, run separately by Deutsche Bahn, keeps operating. Parents and pupils therefore face limited choices for reaching classrooms across the city, yet the education authorities have made clear that the legal duty to attend remains unchanged.

Local schools receive instructions to apply prudent regulations case by case. The circular suggests affected pupils could receive home assignments or other learning options when they cannot travel. Trainees, the letter adds, might report directly to their companies instead of school premises.

Schools Retain Final Say on Absences

Responsibility for granting leave or accepting later excuses rests with each individual school. Families must contact their school to explain any absence, after which staff decide whether the reason qualifies. The education authorities express confidence that schools will reach balanced decisions that keep lessons and all-day programmes running where possible.

The circular letter, shared with the German Press Agency, forms the sole public guidance issued so far on the education side of the dispute. No further statements from the senate education department have been released at this stage.

Pupils and parents who cannot reach school are advised to notify their institution promptly and ask about alternative tasks. Schools will then record the outcome according to their own procedures, ensuring records stay consistent with compulsory-schooling rules.