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Today the ministers of education are discussing new rules for schools and kindergartens. There is already a broad consensus beforehand that normal operations will not be returned. Teachers’ representatives are harshly judging the policy.
Lessons in entire classes, that seems inconceivable to many politicians in light of the tense situation of the crown pandemic. Federal Education Minister Anja Karliczek also expressed doubts about a quick return to normalcy.
The infection figures are “still worryingly high” and the effects of the holidays on the crown situation are still unclear, Karliczek warned. 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. But he thinks Germany could go back to normal step by step in schools and other educational institutions this year.
Today, the ministers of education of the federal states are discussing the concept of school in the corona pandemic.
“Illusory Regular Operation”
Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) and Thuringian Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) called for an extension of the strict lockdown until the end of January. Saarland Prime Minister Tobias Hans (CDU) also said that to prevent a third wave of the virus from spreading, “we must continue to adhere to a strict lockdown.” In the newspapers of the Funke media group, Hans described the regular operation in schools and kindergartens in January as hardly conceivable.
SPD leader Saskia Esken also called the rapid return of schools to regular operations “illusory”. She told the “Rheinische Post” that even if the number of infections should make first relief possible in late January, “full presence” will initially only be possible in elementary schools.
Complaints to school ministries
Even the president of the Association of German Teachers, Heinz-Peter Meidinger, currently considers normal face-to-face teaching impossible. 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.
The president of the German Child Protection Association, Heinz Hilgers, accused the policy of a lack of concept in school and kindergarten matters during the Corona crisis and called for an understandable general concept. “The discussion about safe school lessons and the operation of nurseries in the corona pandemic has not progressed a bit since the summer,” he told the editorial network in Germany: “But schools in particular need a general concept that goes further beyond the vacation-to-vacation mix. “
“Extend a week”
The Education and Science Union (GEW) demanded that the school closings be extended at least until it was clear how New Year’s Eve would affect corona infection figures. Therefore, the federal states should extend the closure of schools for “at least a week,” GEW chief Marlis Tepe told the publishing network in Germany.
The union chief went on to say that there is much to be said in favor of “alternative and distance education remaining the order of the day in the coming weeks in the face of the corona pandemic.”
Merkel and Prime Minister will debate on Tuesday
In the run-up to deliberations by the federal and state governments on Tuesday, there is broad consensus on an extension of the tough shutdown, in which schools and daycare centers are mostly closed. Prime ministers from various parties made it clear that they see no basis for further relaxation. However, the length of the extension and how schools and nurseries are treated are still unclear. The strict lockdown that has been in effect since mid-December was initially limited to January 10.
