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With the increase in crown numbers, school closings are a problem again. The Swiss Teachers Association understands this, but warns of the consequences.
After the holidays, the president of the Cantonal Conference of Health Directors (GDK) is not very optimistic about the future in terms of the effectiveness of the current Corona measures. “The adjustment cannot be avoided if high figures with an upward trend are repeated in the coming weeks,” says Lukas Engelberger.
Stores could still be closed and the home office could be mandatory. But maybe you need more. “Until now we have tried to take measures to protect school and work life as much as possible. This room for maneuver has already been exhausted ”, emphasizes Engelberger.
The president of GDK justifies the possible measures in schools saying that they are the “pacemaker in everyday life”. If the school works with distance education and the students do not move, the contacts would be reduced, also because the parents would stay more at home. But school closings are the last resort. That is why we have been able to avoid them so far, ”says Lukas Engelberger.
School closures would be an option to further reduce public contacts.
At the Swiss Umbrella Association of Teachers (LCH), Engelberger’s request, contrary to expectations, met with some understanding. ‘School closures should be avoided whenever possible. But everyone’s health comes first ”, emphasizes Central Secretary Franziska Peterhans. Should the epidemiological situation consequently worsen, the closure of schools is also conceivable as a last option from the point of view of the teachers’ association.
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In the first wave, about a third of the children learned little or nothing because there was no direct supervision from the teacher, says Franziska Peterhans.
ZVG
Peterhans is currently receiving more inquiries from concerned teachers and parents about protective measures and corona infections in schools. “School closures would be an option to further reduce contacts in public transport,” he admits, but at the same time points out the disadvantages of distance learning. In the spring, about a third of the children learned little or nothing, as there was no direct supervision by the teacher in the online lessons. Additionally, distance learning is stressful for many families and childcare is challenging.
Peterhans argues that the secondary and compulsory school situation must be considered separately. “For high school and vocational school students, distance learning is easier to tackle for a short period of time due to their age. Elementary schools should not be closed, especially for younger children. ”This is also because younger children are not yet seen as the drivers of the pandemic.
The alliance of parties calls for a new closure
The chairmen of the Green and Liberal Green parties also speak out in favor of stricter crown measures. He addresses the Federal Council in an open letter and calls for a “time-limited phase with new measures.” Greens President Balthasar Glättli explains: “What is urgently needed now is for hospitalization and death rates to be dramatically reduced, and there is no constant change between opening and closing.”
For Glättli, in addition to the stricter obligations of the home office, shops and schools are conceivable if necessary. Pressure on the government increases after the holidays. The Federal Council will decide on Wednesday whether and to what extent further tightening measures will be adopted.
