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When do you go back to the classroom? School operations are also uncertain in light of a possible extension of the closure. Some federal states have now announced longer closures. Experts also advise against normal operation.
There are many signs that the lockdown, which is currently in effect in Germany until January 10, will be extended, and the question of how things should continue in the new year also arises for school operations. The number of voices rejecting an early return to regular lessons is increasing.
Brandenburg Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke said that rbb, assumes there will be no return to face-to-face teaching in Brandenburg schools until winter break in early February.
Berlin Education Senator Sandra Scheeres does not expect regular classes to start again before January 18. “I would like students, especially at the elementary level and in the years relevant to graduation, to be able to return to classroom teaching as quickly as possible,” he said. “But we cannot decide that regardless of the onset of the infection. For the moment, I assume that in Berlin we will have to extend the homeschool-guided learning phase until January 17.”
Experts advise against normal operation: concepts are missing
The federal states are supported by the Association of German Teachers. Its president, Heinz-Peter Meidinger, told n-tv broadcaster that due to the high number of infections, the association could not imagine going back to full classroom teaching in mid-January, not even in elementary schools. He advocated for a hygiene plan for schools linked to science-based advocacy values.
The Union of Education and Science (GEW) also takes this position. Ilka Hoffmann, member of the board responsible for schools, called for the implementation of the Robert Koch Institute guidelines in the “Welt”, “that is, alternate lessons in small groups and at a distance”. From time to time, schools are intended to be the only place where there can be no infection, Hoffmann says. “Of course that is not the case.” Education ministers are not very insightful.
Headwind of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg’s education minister, Susanne Eisenmann, is one of the politicians advocating for the reopening of kindergartens and primary schools from January 11. Chancellor Angela Merkel and the prime ministers must make this decision, he urged in the daily “Bild”. “Even if the closure extends beyond January 10, kindergartens and primary schools should reopen for face-to-face classes. In these age groups, it is essential that children go to kindergartens and learn in schools.”
A few days earlier, Eisenmann had campaigned for kindergartens and primary schools to be reopened “regardless of incidence figures”. The leader of the SPD, Saskia Esken, described this statement as “frankly irresponsible” in an interview with the Funke media group.
Spahn and Lauterbach call for caution
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn also called for caution. The question of what happens to schools and day care centers affects millions of people and is understandably being discussed, Spahn said. “And at the same time I have some doubts in favor, rather one week more now than one week less,” he added in view of the restrictions and closures.
SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach had also spoken out against returning to normal school operations after January 10.
Bund-Länder consultations on Tuesday
Chancellor Merkel and the heads of country will discuss how to proceed in the pandemic next Tuesday. The ministers of education of the federal states want to coordinate the school theme one day in advance. However, they have the right to have some countries announce their decisions in advance: education is a matter for each country.
In addition to Brandenburg and Berlin, Hamburg had previously extended compulsory school attendance, which had already been suspended from January 5 to 10, for a week. The Senate also did not rule out the possibility that there was no regular classroom instruction in the last two weeks of January.
Requires master plan
In view of the cancellation of lessons, the director of the teachers association, Meidinger, called for a master plan on how the deficits of the restricted school operation should be compensated in times of pandemic. “This also includes dealing with final exams and the extent to which certain groups of students may be offered an additional year on a voluntary basis.”
Reduced curricula and simplified exam requirements are ultimately just cursory therapy: “They don’t solve the basic problem that we don’t want to have a Corona generation free to life with poorer educational tools.” .
