In Essingen in East Württemberg, the students meet in a farm barn that has been provisionally equipped with blackboards and school desks.

In Waldmössingen in the Black Forest, the elementary school students are said to have been taught in an empty shop.

In Baden-Württemberg and in many other federal states, school absenteeism has increased significantly during the course of the pandemic: some parents are staunchly defending themselves against the obligation to wear masks and tests in schools.

According to a report in the newspaper "Südwestpresse", the establishment of the school on the farm in Weiler Hermannsfeld near Essingen goes back to the initiative of the association "Junge Freilandmenschen".

The educational goal is to prepare "young people for a free and self-determined life".

Ruediger Soldt

Political correspondent in Baden-Württemberg.

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It is not easy for the public order and school authorities as well as the regional councils to get an overview of the extent of the corona-related truancy.

Because the parents organize the private lessons quietly and secretly in study groups.

In Telegram chat groups, parents and members of the lateral thinker movement have been calling for months to send their children to so-called “free learning schools”.

“Deschooling” is also propagated as a “healing process” in the Telegram group “Freilernen – Freileben”.

The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Culture now knows of 80 penalties for non-compliance with compulsory schooling - it is difficult for the school administration to clarify how many of these are causally related to the protest against the Corona measures.

In each of the four regional councils of Baden-Württemberg there should now be several “free learning groups”.

The Freiburg regional council, for example, oversees around 1,000 schools between Lörrach and Offenburg.

After a survey by the authorities, 15 headmasters recently reported that they had noticed conspicuous absenteeism from school in the past few weeks.

More than three students were permanently absent from these schools.

"First, the schools have to report the violations of compulsory education to the regulatory authorities, if the allegations are confirmed, the school supervisory board will initiate a penalty payment procedure," says the spokeswoman for the regional council in Freiburg.

Parents must then expect a fine of 1000 euros and more.

So far, three illegal learning groups are known to the Freiburg regional council: in Waldmössingen, in Ettenheim and in Rottweil.

In Waldmössingen and Rottweil there are already penalties against a total of about ten legal guardians.

In Ettenheim, a hearing against seven parents is currently underway because of the permanent violation of compulsory schooling.

The initiative that organized the private learning group in Waldmössingen has now also submitted an application to set up a substitute school.

Should such a private school ever be founded, however, the Corona regulation will also apply there, and the pupils would by no means be exempt from the obligation to wear masks and tests.

Presence for “social-emotional well-being”

The private school law permits the establishment of new alternative schools at any time, private schools are protected by the Basic Law, but a level of learning must be achieved as in public schools, and the scientific training of the teaching staff must also be guaranteed.

The establishment of "supplementary schools" only has to be reported to the upper school authorities.

However, the authorities can prohibit a supplementary school to protect the general public.

However, the establishment of a supplementary school would not help the lateral thinkers and corona deniers because it does not serve to fulfill compulsory schooling.

The Baden-Württemberg Minister of Education Theresa Schopper (Greens) warned parents again on Wednesday against disregarding compulsory schooling and attending private study groups: “To put it plainly: Anyone who attends private study groups instead of going to school is violating the rules Compulsory schooling – and that is sanctioned.” Children and young people need face-to-face training not only for a good education, but also for their “social-emotional well-being”.

This was shown by feedback from medical professionals such as pediatricians and school psychologists.

The "young free-range people" and private study groups receive support from the Austria-based association "Gaudium in Vita", which in turn runs a club house in Germany in the Forsthaus Lüsche in Lower Saxony.

According to the association, 555 students in Germany take part in "research projects" for "free learning", in Baden-Württemberg alone there are said to be 69 students.

Nicole Wolf coordinates the work of the "Research Institute" for Germany.

“We are a young research institute, we are concerned with self-determined learning.

Our students don't go to mainstream schools," she says.

This is a violation of compulsory education, and the legal basis for research is freedom of research.

Wolf cannot say exactly how many parents would have registered their children with “free learning groups” to protest the pandemic policy.

“We are currently asking about the motivation of the parents.

I suspect that Corona has played a large part in this.”