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As soon as the number of infections allows, education ministers want to gradually reopen schools. However, this is not to be expected before the end of the lockdown, and will apparently run until January 31.
Education ministers want to gradually reopen schools as soon as the corona infection figures allow. “If the measures adopted in December 2020 are relaxed, the schools must be there from the beginning,” says a resolution of the Conference of Ministers of Education.
The ministers are planning a three-stage process for the reboot in schools: first, grades 1-6 are allowed to return to face-to-face lessons. At the second level, there should be alternate supplemental instruction in general and professional high schools beginning in grade seven. Only a third stage provides for a full return to normal operations in all schools. There should still be exceptions for final classes so that your exam preparation can be “adequately” accompanied.
The lockdown will likely extend
However, education ministers are making the resumption of face-to-face classes dependent on the relaxation of the currently applicable blockade. And that is not what it seems at the moment: Chancellor Angela Merkel and the prime ministers of state do not want to decide on the continuation of the crown measures until tomorrow. But there are signs that the lockdown will last until the end of January.
As reported by the dpa news agency, the majority of prime ministers have already spoken in favor of such an extension until January 31. The Union-led countries agreed to this on Sunday night. The lockdown was originally supposed to end on January 10, but given the continuing high number of infections, this date is apparently off the table.
“We have to avoid whole classes”
Federal Minister of Education Anja Karliczek had already expressed doubts about a speedy return to regular school operations before today’s meeting of the Minister of Education. The number of infections is “still alarmingly high” and the effects of the holidays on the crown situation are still unclear. In the newspapers of the Funke media group he spoke out against “a complete return to full face-to-face teaching in all grades.” The situation in the schools will continue to be difficult for the next few weeks.
The president of the German Association of Teachers, Heinz-Peter Meidinger, had also stated that he did not consider normal face-to-face teaching possible at this time. at ARD morning magazine He advocated alternating lessons with distance regulations, especially for elementary students, and distance education for older age groups. “We have to avoid whole classes with this high infection rate,” Meidinger said. But it also called for graduates to get a proper Abitur or intermediate school completion certificate. “In individual cases, the exam requirements would have to be adjusted.”
At the same time, Meidinger made accusations against school ministries. They would have made a serious mistake in the spring because they refused to digitally update schools. “Very little has happened in these six months,” he said. The effects of the closure on schools have been miscalculated.
Students want a model of change
Before the education ministers’ meeting, the federal student conference had called for schools to start after January 10 on an alternate model. “Now we have to prepare schools to change models and give preference to younger students and graduating classes,” said Secretary General of the Federal Conference of Schools, Dario Schramm. He also asked for handicap compensation for the upcoming final exams.
