Pupils with disabilities or medical conditions must not be excluded from a school trip for organisational reasons. This is set out in a ruling by the Administrative Court (VG) Düsseldorf (Ref.: 18 L 2138/26 of 2 September 2026).

A primary school in Wuppertal refused to allow a nine-year-old pupil with a heart condition to go on a school trip, as it considered this to be irresponsible on health, educational and organisational grounds. The Administrative Court has now ruled that this decision was wrong. Pupils with disabilities or medical conditions are, in principle, also obliged to take part in school events such as school trips. The court ruled that a school trip forms an integral part of the school’s educational and formative work. It promotes social integration, strengthens class cohesion and supports the pupils’ personal development, the court stated. Exclusion from a school event may, at most, be considered as a disciplinary measure or if the pupil poses a specific danger to themselves or others, the court argued. Otherwise, it is the school’s responsibility – and not that of the parents – to ensure that pupils can take part in the school trip in a way that is feasible and reasonable for them, the Administrative Court ruled.

„The ruling clarifies what inclusive education means. This is particularly important and appropriate in light of the election result in Saxony-Anhalt. After all, the AfD is planning to abolish inclusive education in that federal state,“ adds lawyer Dr Beate Schulte zu Sodingen.