Liechtenstein lawmakers propose school ‘joker days’ for families

Liechtenstein lawmakers Tanja Cissé and Carmen Heeb-Kindle of the VU party have submitted an initiative to the Landtag to introduce ‘Jokertage’ (joker days) into the national school system. The proposal would allow parents to excuse their children from school for two full days or four half-days per school year without providing a reason or submitting a formal request for approval.

The initiators argue that the measure would provide greater flexibility for modern families, including patchwork families, those living far from relatives, or those participating in cultural, religious, or sporting events that do not align with the standard school calendar. Under the proposal, parents would only need to provide timely notification to the class teacher.

While existing rules for absences due to illness or other recognized reasons would remain unchanged, these joker days would serve as an additional, limited option. The specific implementation details, such as notification deadlines and restrictions on certain days, would be determined by the government through regulations rather than being written directly into law.