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Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) is calling for the closure to be extended for another three weeks and for schools and kindergartens to be closed for longer. “The lockdown has to last until the end of January. A premature loosening would set us back a lot,” he told “Bild am Sonntag” before the federal-state round on Tuesday.
There should be no “hasty opening of schools and kindergartens”, because from his point of view it would be “irresponsible in view of the high number of infections to simply send teachers and students back to schools entirely,” Söder continued. The virus has been shown to be spreading in schools too: “The risk is particularly high after the holidays. Many in Germany have underestimated it for a long time.”
Söder: “This is not a normal school year, but not a lost one either”
At the same time, the Prime Minister wants to ensure that students are not disadvantaged: “Digital offerings have to work and teaching and exam plans have to be flexibly adapted. We want to maintain the quality of education without creating additional stress for the students”. Also, vacation plans should be adjusted, Söder demanded: “Of course this will not be a normal school year, but certainly not a missed one.”
Regarding the blockade, the CSU politician further explained that the example of Austria shows “that the open-close-open-close model does not work. We need a clear line in Germany. The numbers are simply too high.” The effects of Christmas and New Year’s Eve are not yet predictable. This could only be accurately assessed in mid-January: “In addition, I am concerned by many vacationers from risk areas and returning relatives.”
Söder: “We have to be consistent”
He currently sees “no sensible politician” talking about early openings, Söder added: “We have to be consistent and we must not give up too soon. That was the weakness of Corona policy in Germany: it started too late and stopped too early.” “
Simone Fleischmann, president of the Bavarian Teachers Association (BLLV), considers opening a school “irresponsible” at the moment. “The BLLV fights for the protection of universities and for educational justice!” He tweeted on Sunday. Although goals are difficult to agree on, they must be achieved.
