At the request of the APA, the Ministry of Education emphasized that they had made provisions for such cases.
Last week, almost 19,000 positive results were registered in the school PCR tests, which was significantly more than in the previous week (around 14,000). Across Austria, eight schools and an additional 856 classes were completely or partially closed.
The extremely high number of infections in the general population would be reflected in both the staff and the students, said Kimberger to the APA. “I’m not a virologist, but the time for easing may have been a little too early when I look at the infection numbers at the moment.” The continued different approaches of the regional health authorities in dealing with cases of infection in the schools cause additional problems.
“The school is on the verge of collapse”
In order to keep teaching going despite the staff shortages, the schools would “save themselves over it with many makeshift arrangements,” said Kimberger. When it comes to suppliers, however, “in many cases the limit has already been exceeded”. The top Viennese compulsory school teacher representative Thomas Krebs (FCG) reported to Ö1 about locations where a large part of the teachers were absent due to corona. Regular operation is no longer possible there, only distance learning and “diving through for several days”. “The quality of teaching is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain,” warned Thomas Bulant (FSG) in “Austria”. For AHS director spokeswoman Isabella Zins, the situation “is really very, very difficult for us at the moment, with contact tracing and so on,” as she explained to Ö1.
For SPÖ education spokeswoman Petra Vorderwinkler, the federal government has given up corona management. “School operations in Austria are on the verge of collapse, real teaching has long since been impossible in many places,” she criticized in a broadcast. “Despite the alarming situation, the federal government remains in its unforgivable hibernation.” In the meantime, individual headmasters would again order masks to be compulsory in their schools “because the Minister of Education went into hiding”.
“I don’t know who should do it”
Vorderwinkler warned that the integration of children who had fled the Ukraine would further aggravate the personnel situation. Additional school psychologists are also needed. In view of the tense personnel situation, teacher representative Krebs questions how additional offers such as possible German classes announced by Minister of Education Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) should be organized for schoolchildren who have fled Ukraine. “I don’t know who should do that.” According to AHS director spokeswoman Zins, despite the tense situation, as with the wave of refugees in 2015 and 2016, teachers and directors are very willing to help. At that time, the majority of the refugees were accommodated in compulsory schools (above all elementary and secondary schools).
In view of the generally high rate of infection, the schools are currently in a difficult situation, the Ministry of Education acknowledged on Monday at the APA’s request. However, we have made provisions for this, a spokeswoman referred to a pool of 1,200 student teachers who can be requested by the schools if necessary. Students at the schools are already working here. In addition, staff shortages could be compensated for by supplier hours and, in the case of small locations, by switching to distance learning.
Test strategy not yet clarified
It has not yet been clarified how the test strategy in the schools will continue from April. The general test strategy of the federal government is currently being developed. As long as there is no decision here, the current test regime at schools (three tests per week, two of which are PCR) will be retained, the ministry said.
According to Ö1, in addition to the schools, the kindergartens are also struggling with extreme corona-related staff shortages. At Caritas Upper Austria, opening hours would therefore be reduced and groups closed, sometimes only emergency operations are possible. The Styrian kindergarten operator Wiki (We children, education and care) reports on enormous overloads over months and years, this year alone 500 colleagues, a third of the workforce were infected.
Source: Nachrichten
