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St. Gallen government wants to keep high school students and vocational college students at home until mid-January: Thurgau and Appenzell are forgoing distance learning
A letter from the director of education Stefan Kölliker to the teachers of the canton of St. Gallen shows: After the Christmas holidays, the government provides for distance learning from upper secondary level for two weeks. In Thurgau and the two cantons of Appenzell, distance education is not a problem at the moment.
Soon she will be out of the classroom: Secondary level II students will have to study at home after Christmas break.
“In the Covid 19 pandemic, the events and provisions of the federal and cantonal authorities are currently overturning.” Thus begins the letter from the director of education Stefan Kölliker to the teachers of the canton of St. Gallen, which this newspaper has received. The situation is particularly challenging for education. “We are aware that, on the one hand, we have to do everything possible to ensure that young people do not unjustifiably suffer the situation, but on the other hand, that the widely interconnected school area does not become the cause of the threat to health. of the society”. As can be seen from the letter, the “Sek II” level lessons should take place soon at home:
“Due to the unfavorable development of the pandemic, the government and the board of education are currently preparing for our canton for the upper secondary level (secondary schools and vocational schools) a start after the Christmas holidays in distance education for at least two weeks to mid-January 2021 “.
If the federal government intervenes in the education sector in the short term it is open and “at least it is not planned for the moment.” So the ball is in the canton.
The aggravation of the situation must be avoided
The measure will be implemented unless a “strong effect of the measures currently in force for society” can be determined in the short term. The aim is to prevent school children from transmitting infections to school buildings during the holidays, and thus further aggravate the situation in hospitals. Kölliker advises the letter’s recipients to prepare now for distance learning.
The government provides exceptions to the prohibition of attending special constellations, such as necessary exams or grading procedures. These are communicated in detail by the responsible offices.
Government sticks to classroom teaching for kindergarten and elementary school
The St. Gallen government and the St. Gallen Board of Education generally welcome the open attitude of the federal government toward opening schools. It also says: In the event of a progressive escalation of contagion, they would like any ban on face-to-face teaching to come mainly from the federal government and not from individual cantons. “We have explicitly stated this to the Federal Council.”
The canton wants to stick to face-to-face teaching for kindergarten and primary school. Even at the lower secondary level, face-to-face teaching should not be impeded “without the greatest pandemic emergency”; the mask requirement should remain there until further notice. An extension of the elementary school vacation is excluded. “At secondary level II, we consider a transition to distance education after the holidays conceivable, insofar as it is necessary to prevent pandemics.”
Already in November: Petition for distance education with more than 10,000 signatures
At the end of October, David Rommel, a student at the Brühl canton school, had asked to switch to distance education. At the beginning of November the petition was signed by 9,900 people, today there are more than 10,100 signatures. Distance learning was not a problem at the time. It is almost too late. It took a lot of numbers to react, ”says Rommel. The request that Rommel had sent to the district president, Bruno Damann, was answered three weeks late: “The letter said that the protection concepts were working and that the goals of the curriculum could not be achieved in distance education. “.
David Rommel, a student at the Brühl cantonal school.
Rommel was discouraged, but now the U-turn: “They have already told us to take our school supplies home. So somehow it was foreseeable that distance learning would come. “At the Kantonsschule am Brühl, where Rommel goes to school, everyone agrees:” 80 percent of the students are for distance education. safer for everyone, including our families. ” The problem is not even necessarily the classroom. “Everyone wears masks. But after class, you wait for the bus without masks and the buses are crowded. Mainly there is the risk of infection. “
Thurgau and Appenzell dispense with distance learning
In the surrounding cantons, distance education is not offered at the moment. Monika Knill, Government Councilor of the Canton of Thurgau, says:
“For the canton of Thurgau, it is clear that a return to distance education must be avoided at all costs.”
The current protection measures would go into effect and guarantee the best possible protection for students and teachers.
Monika Knill, Government Councilor of the Canton of Thurgau.
In the first week of January, however, special provisions apply to apprentices in the health and care professions: “They are completely exempt from compulsory vocational education so that they can be used to the fullest in health and care institutions. to alleviate the precarious staff situation, “says Knill.
Appenzell Ausserrhoden also sticks to the start of the school with face-to-face classes starting on January 4. But: “It may be that the Federal Council is dominating the cantons or that the epidemiological situation requires it,” says Daniela Ittensohn, Secretary of the Department of Education and Culture of the Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. For this reason, the concepts of protection of schools are fulfilled with fixed preparations for five days of distance education. Furthermore, the number of cases in the canton schools is very low.
Roland Inauen, Landammann and Head of AI of the Department of Education.
Innerrhoden has exactly one high school, San Antonio Elementary School. “Since November 11, there have been no more cases of isolation in St. If, contrary to expectations, the numbers increase, the school could switch to education at distance from one day to the next.
