For the responsible education department it is clear: “Lessons take place in schools,” said Education Minister Heinz Faßmann (ÖVP), summarizing the regulation that he said had been agreed with Salzburg and Upper Austria. In a letter to the school management of the two federal states, it is also emphasized that the timetable will remain upright despite the lockdown – for all school levels. “The school remains open for a school operation appropriate to the circumstances.”
The corresponding ordinance or the ministry’s decree should “be submitted as soon as possible”. For a certain “detachment”, however, all students who currently do not want to take part in face-to-face classes due to the high number of infections should be allowed to study at home from Monday. They should get information about the subject matter from the teachers and, if the technical requirements are met, they should be able to voluntarily take part in the lessons virtually on their own initiative.
Video: Disagreement about school closings
Learning packages from Monday in Upper Austria
In the federal states affected by the lockdown, however, the desire for “detoxification” goes much further: in Upper Austria, according to the official wording, schools and children’s education institutions remain open and there should also be lessons. The country wants to ask the parents, if it is possible, to leave the children at home. The background to this contradicting regulation is the legal responsibilities: “If we (as a country due to the epidemic law, note) were to close the schools, the rooms would also be locked”, explained LHStv. Christine Haberlander (ÖVP).
Then you could not make an offer to those who urgently need childcare. On the other hand, the state cannot send all Upper Austrian students into distance learning. Only the education minister could do that, she said from her office. However, there is already distance learning in many classes due to quarantines.
From Monday there will also be learning packages so that you can study at home. But of course everyone who needs supervision or instruction would get it, it was emphasized. In the education minister’s regulation, this compromise is described as “keeping it open as appropriate to the circumstances,” she said. It is compulsory to wear a mask at all school levels. Universities and technical colleges go into distance learning.
School attendance “not the norm” in Salzburg
In Salzburg, schools and kindergartens should generally remain closed in view of the high number of infections, especially among 5 to 15-year-olds, explained Governor Wilfried Haslauer and explicitly spoke of a switch to homeschooling. “From the current point of view, schools will only remain open for absolutely necessary care.” This applies, for example, to the children of key workers or students with learning backlogs. Attending school should “in principle not be the norm,” said the Salzburg governor.
In a broadcast from the State of Salzburg in the evening it was emphasized: “For all those who need the school, it remains open.” Parents who can look after their children at home are, however, called on not to send their children to school in order to reduce the number of new infections and thus to relieve the hospitals and their staff.
Education state councilor Daniela Gutschi (ÖVP) emphasized in the evening that, from the current perspective, teachers would generally be and teach in schools. But only those students who need it should come to school. For everyone else at home, it is important to organize the lessons as well as possible. “We strive to create meaningful and good offers – for example with learning packages,” she said to the APA. Distance learning is possible, but is not prescribed across the board. In view of the high number of infections in schools too, the lockdown is not an educational policy measure, but a health policy measure.
Source From: Nachrichten
