According to the President of the Conference of Education Ministers, Britta Ernst (SPD), the first school openings should be possible as early as the beginning of February. This is certainly not completely feasible, said the Brandenburg Education Minister of the “Rheinische Post”. “But I think that if there is a corresponding infection situation, for example, with alternating lessons, it is possible.” However, this could initially only apply to final classes and the first grade levels.
Warning of a new wave
The Charité virologist Christian Drosten warned against opening schools too early. The database from Great Britain and several studies would meanwhile show that school children are at least the same risk of infection as everyone else.
The more contagious new British virus variant B 117 could create a new wave, he said on his NDR podcast. Therefore, protective measures in daycare centers and schools would have to be made dependent on a limit value in the infection process.
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“It makes sense to agree on a certain incidence value,” said Drosten. The Robert Koch Institute recommends a value of 50, from which schools with distance rules and mask requirement could switch to alternate lessons.
In the federal states, however, there is no uniform approach to such a limit value. In the “Spiegel” interview, Drosten criticized the line of the ministers of education: the infectiousness of children had been negated for too long, which had delayed necessary school closings. Drosten currently sees the most opportunity to “make compromises” when looking after children in daycare and primary school.
KMK: Countries should use leeway
KMK President Ernst said that no country should have to wait for another to open its schools. In view of the different infection rates in the federal states, she thinks “it is right if the states use the leeway that the resolutions offer them differently”.
The countries are already doing this. In general, compulsory attendance is currently suspended for pupils in their schools nationwide. You learn in digital or analog distance lessons.
Exceptions apply to young people in the final grades, i.e. for the 9th and 10th grades at secondary or community schools and at special schools as well as for the Abitur classes. The schools also remain open for “emergency care” for children and young people who are not adequately equipped at home or who can be accompanied while studying.
How long the school lockdown should last varies from country to country. While some school ministers have agreed that the abolition of the compulsory attendance will remain until February 14th, others are raising hopes for a gradual opening from the beginning of February.
The situation in Berlin is clear: all schools are closed for classroom teaching until at least February 14th. This is why the certificates are not distributed at the end of January, but only after the winter holidays.
An earlier opening perspective, on the other hand, is formulated very clearly in Baden-Württemberg: “The aim of the state government is to gradually open day-care centers, day-care facilities and elementary schools from February 1,” says the Ministry of Education. In Rhineland-Palatinate, too, there will be changing classes again from February 1st.
In Saxony, Minister of Culture Christian Piwarz criticizes the fact that the prime ministers have extended the lockdown for a large part of the students until mid-February. “I very much hope that we can reopen daycare centers and schools in February, at least with limited regular operations,” said Piwarz at the end of last week. “The children and young people suffer a lot from the lockdown. A longer closing of the educational institutions is hardly reasonable for children and parents. “
But how durable are such school opening strategies in view of the dangers posed by the mutated form of the corona virus? Head of the Chancellery, Helge Braun, warns of the B 117 mutation becoming prevalent in Germany as well – which is likely to have consequences for schools.
Schleswig-Holstein is one of the few states that prepare students, parents and teachers for all eventualities. School openings from the beginning of February will be decided “depending on the infection rate, the incidence values and the development of the mutations in the virus, as well as the federal and state governments”.
The state has set a clear limit for the nationwide resumption of face-to-face teaching in accordance with the RKI: If the number of new infections nationwide is permanently well below the limit of 50 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Worry about long distance lessons
The debate about when children and young people should be able to attend school again is in any case controversial in society. Federal Family Minister Franziska Giffey (SPD) now called for “opening perspectives” for schools and daycare centers from mid-February. The longer the closings, “the higher the price”.
Child protection is also health protection. KMK President Ernst also emphasizes that distance learning over a long period of time is not good for primary school children in particular. A concern shared by many education professionals.
However, the German Academy for Child and Adolescent Medicine, for example, requires a nationwide hygiene level plan and a significant improvement in infection protection in schools – and also on the way to school – before schools open, if there is a corresponding incidence. The union of education and science (GEW) has recently criticized the fact that federal policy on school closings are not implemented uniformly by February 14. The result is a federal patchwork quilt.
For Brandenburg, with a currently very high incidence, Education Minister Britta Ernst ruled out a school opening after the winter holidays on Monday. (with dpa)
