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Status: 04.01.2021 4:46 pm
The schools remain closed for the moment, this is the result of a consultation of the ministers of education. If possible, children in grades 1-6 should return first. The bigger ones should follow later.
Education ministers in the federal states on Monday spoke in favor of a step-by-step plan to open schools. If Corona numbers allow, grades 1-6 should be able to return to face-to-face classes first. At a later stage, hybrid lessons are possible starting in the seventh grade. It is not yet clear when it will happen. “There is no definition of a specific point in time or a specific incidence value. It is up to each federal state to decide for itself,” said Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU) in an interview with NDR Schleswig-Holstein. The final decision on how to proceed should be announced on Wednesday. When making the decision, it must be taken into account that older children are more likely to be infected with the coronavirus than younger ones. “With schoolchildren from 15 we can see that they can be infected, just like adults. We have to take this into account, we have to differentiate, ”Prien said. The conference had reaffirmed that opening schools was of the utmost importance. Furthermore, face-to-face teaching cannot be replaced for a longer period of time without negative consequences.
VIDEO: Rupp Infectiologist on School Openings: Currently Unclear Situation (2 min)
Distance classes until after January 11
However, assume that there will also be distance lessons during the next week. This starts on Thursday, the first day of school after Christmas break. “Now, at a time when the database is so uncertain that we don’t really know if the lockdown is successful, nor do we know what effects the new variants of the B.1.1.7 virus from England, among others, have had, no we can open schools responsibly, “said the minister. For younger students, however, there will still be emergency care. Now it is about taking advantage of advances in digital learning, said Prien.
State parent council: worksheets aren’t enough
Claudia Pick of the State Parent Advisory Council for elementary schools sees a lot to do there. It is not enough to provide students with worksheets at home. “Of course, distance learning has been optimized, but not in all areas and, above all, not with all students and in all schools. The way in which distance learning has expanded also depends a lot on the teachers, “Pick said. This worries the state representative, especially in regards to Abitur’s graduation classes.
The State President of the Education and Science Union (GEW), Astrid Henke, said it was the right way to look at the development of the number of infections and decide later on teaching in the classroom. The union called for the school closings to be extended by at least a week.
Debate on the progress of digitization in schools
At Deutschlandfunk, Prien admitted omissions in digitizing schools. “In Germany we should have started digitizing schools 10-15 years earlier, but you can’t do all of that in a few months.” That takes time.
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