Sickness
"Sick for work, but you're going to school."
You are on sick leave, and the company thinks you can still go to vocational school.
§ 3 EntgFG / Schulrecht der Länder
The boss may NOT do that
Being unfit for work also covers vocational school.
Incapacity for work relates to your training as a whole — which includes vocational school. Anyone unfit for work due to illness also does not have to go to school. Conversely: anyone well enough for school is usually not unfit for work either. The school's own rules apply in addition: you usually have to report your absence there on the first day and provide an excuse, often regardless of the sick note for the company. If an exam falls during your illness, you usually need a medical certificate for the chamber to withdraw.
What the law says
§ 3 EntgFG – Incapacity for work
Anyone who cannot perform their contractual activity due to illness is unfit for work; for trainees this includes attending vocational school.
State school laws
Vocational students must excuse absences according to their school's rules.
What you can do
- On the day you are ill, report to the company AND the school.
- Ask the school what excuse it needs (form, copy of the sick note).
- Ill on exam day: inform the chamber immediately and get a certificate.
- Catch up on missed material with classmates — it helps with your training log.