The presentation reflects the present situation in Germany, where compulsory school attendance is anchored in state constitutions or education acts and claims regular attendance in school for 12 years (Ricking & Rothenburg, 2020; Grewe, 2005). Defiance of compulsory school attendance usually leads to disciplinary measures, such as fines, school attendance under compulsion by the police and – in serious cases – arrest sentences (Böhm, 2011; Ricking & Hagen, 2016). However, a punitive approach to non-attendance has only limited effects in the reduction of absence patterns (Pendon, 2016). In contrast, school-based programs of prevention and intervention are published and discussed (f.ex. Adenaw et al., 2020). Consequently, several educational authorities and school boards settled on a plan of action to change laws, principles and ways of management of school absenteeism in the last years (Sutphen et al., 2010). Several German states reorganized policies of punishment towards structures of pedagogical support (Enderle et al., 2023, in review; Behörde für Schule und Berufsbildung Hamburg, 2013). The paradigm shift has been adopted by schools in Hamburg (Ricking & Team, 2020). The supportive approach is the result of a study that was conducted in Hamburg 2019-2022. The study was applied in the context of scientific monitoring and in collaboration between 4 Schools, 2 Foundations, the Hamburg School Board and the University of Oldenburg. The aim was to strengthen schools in their capacities to act, to support students’ learning engagement or well-being and to reduce school absenteeism and dropout. Selected results and the aspects of pedagogical support within the guiding manual of Hamburg are presented (Ricking & Team, 2020). The presented findings of Hamburg show that school structures and practices can contribute to participation and prevention of school absenteeism. As an outlook, the aim and design of a qualitative case study within the international research project SAPIC will be shortly presented. It connects to the previous research in Hamburg as it provides further understanding on support systems of attendance in and around school. Interviews are conducted to investigate perspectives of school leaders, social education professionals and teachers as well as individual perspectives of adolescents on school-based practices and experiences of pedagogical support regarding school attendance in Hamburg.

Adenaw, C., Löffler, A., Rackowitz, M., Steinheider, P., Schmidt-Böcking, U. & Jeck, S. (2020). Pädagogisch-psychologische Maßnahmen zum Umgang mit Schulvermeidung. Handreichung für Schulen. https://kultusministerium.hessen.de/publikationen-a-z [22.12.2022] Behörde für Schule und Berufsbildung Hamburg. (Ed., 2013). Schulpflicht. Handreichung zum Umgang mit Schulpflichtverletzungen. 22083 Hamburg. https://www.hamburg.de/bsb/schulpflichtverletzungen/ [22.12.2022] Böhm, T. (2011). Erziehungs- und Ordnungsmaßnahmen in der Schule. Schulrechtlicher Leitfaden. Kronach: Carl Link. Enderle, C., Ricking, H. & Schulze, G. C. (2023, in Review). School Absenteeism in Germany: A Shift from Punishment to Support. European Education. Grewe, N. (2005). Absenteeism in European Schools. Münster: Lit. Pendon, G. P. (2016). Are Fines An Effective Sanction? IRA-International Journal of Management & Social Sciences, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.21013/jmss.v3.n3.p2 Ricking, H. & Rothenburg, E. (2020). Schulabsentismus – Ein komplexes Phänomen aus rechtlicher und pädagogischer Perspektive. Recht der Jugend und des Bildungswesens, 1, 104-118. Ricking, H., & Hagen, T. (2016). Schulabsentismus und Schulabbruch: Grundlagen - Diagnostik - Prävention (1. Auflage). Verlag W. Kohlhammer. Ricking, H., & Team, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg. (2020). Jeder Schultag zählt. Praxishandbuch für die Schule zur Prävention und Intervention bei Absentismus. (Joachim Herz Stiftung, Ed.; 1. Auflage). Druckwelten. Sutphen, R., Ford, J. & Flaherty, C. (2010). Truancy Interventions: A Review of the Research Literature. Research on Social Work Practice, 20(2), 161 – 171.