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With the current appearance of the infection, it is “epidemiologically justifiable” to keep educational institutions open despite the change in color of the traffic light, says the Minister of Education. So far 202 pupils in Austria are positive.
Despite the change of the traffic light from Corona to orange in seven districts, nothing will change for students at the moment. Education Minister Heinz Faßmann (ÖVP) emphasized at a press conference on Tuesday that “schools and universities remain yellow in the affected districts. The infection process shows that it is” epidemiologically justifiable “, educational institutions are open to maintain .
It was originally said that high schools in the “orange” districts could switch to homeschooling. Now you stick to the measures that were intended for “yellow”: masks outside of class, sports and singing mainly outdoors or under strict precautionary measures.
Since the beginning of the school, there have been 202 verified cases of infection among schoolchildren and 28 among educators, according to the minister. Only four percent of the cases are school-related, there are no clusters, and very rarely are there broadcasts in the area that is of “subordinate importance,” Fassmann said of students under the age of twelve.
Therefore, in consultation with experts, it was decided to “decouple the traffic light color measurements.” Students, teachers and parents need stability and not daily changes. Universities could also continue with their previous plans for the winter semester starting in early October under the above conditions.
Tests too slow
Faßmann stated, however, that there was “a problem” with the rapid testing of suspected cases in schools. It is an “empirical fact: it takes too long,” said the minister. It is not acceptable to leave “classes in limbo” in suspected cases, if it is also seen that the existing testing capabilities at the Vienna Biocenter, for example, are not being used. It will work to ensure that such resources are introduced into the system, the minister stressed, referring to the start of monitoring of tests in schools at the end of September.
Frustrated Universities: “Why This Confusion?”
Universities had previously criticized the new stoplight switch and unclear information about the consequences at a press conference. At the University of Vienna, for example, they have been developing their own traffic light for weeks, based on that of the federal government, but now “a great uncertainty” has arisen, and that “is very frustrating,” said the rector of the University of Vienna, Heinz Engl.
“We have to know for sure how we will deal with the courses from October 1,” Engl said. Statements about traffic light colors would change from one day to the next. In contrast to this, an attempt has been made at the University of Vienna to develop a “very finely balanced” traffic light that allows different colors for different locations, depending on the development of infections.
By the current definition, the orange color of the traffic light would mean that no event is possible. Consequently, an honorary doctorate scheduled for Friday at the University of Vienna would not be possible, but could now be carried out according to the new specifications: “Why this confusion?” Engl asked.
The rector of the Vienna University of Technology (TU) and president of the University Conference (uniko), Sabine Seidler, criticized this uncertainty. It would be important for them to enable a strong presence in universities in the winter semester, especially for freshmen, without jeopardizing the safety of university students and professors. The contact management required for this is “very complex”. Engl also emphasized that hybrid teaching would be particularly important for freshmen because they wanted to experience college. That would be possible with a yellow traffic light, while orange would only mean digital teaching.
(APA / red.)
