Federal Minister of Education Stark-Watzinger is optimistic that face-to-face teaching and infection protection can be “appropriately combined” in the upcoming school year. Does that really work?
Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) sees the corona protection concept for autumn and winter as a good basis for school operations in the third year of the pandemic.
“I am particularly pleased that we have found a regulation in the schools that avoids school closures across the board. Children and young people have borne the brunt so far,” said Stark-Watzinger of the German Press Agency. “The next school year must be normal, at least as normal as possible. I will fight for that,” assured the FDP politician.
The politicians responsible owe it to the younger generation “to offer them every chance for a good development in life”. Stark-Watzinger said she was very confident that face-to-face teaching and infection protection could be “appropriately combined” in the upcoming school year. North Rhine-Westphalia will be the first federal state to start the new school year next Wednesday.
Corona protection concept for autumn
The Federal Ministry of Justice and the Federal Ministry of Health presented their corona protection concept for autumn and winter this week. A central instrument is the obligation to wear masks, which should be possible again in many areas of social life from October. Accordingly, a mask requirement may only be imposed in schools if face-to-face teaching threatens to be canceled – and only from class five. “The mask is the last resort before face-to-face classes are cancelled,” explained Stark-Watzinger.
The fact that primary schools will be completely exempt from the mask requirement in the future is met with incomprehension by the German Teachers’ Association and the Association for Education and Training. It is “completely incomprehensible” that masks can no longer be ordered at primary schools in the future, even if there is a threat of staff shortages and partial school closures, said teacher association head Heinz-Peter Meidinger of the dpa. When asked, Stark-Watzinger’s ministry pointed out that wearing a mouth and nose protector all the time “especially in elementary school” is stressful for children and can make it difficult to start school life.
Source: Stern
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