The Education and Science Union (GEW) sharply criticizes the fact that Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the Prime Minister did not agree on a package of measures for schools – and accuses those responsible of “political adventurism”.
“Those who come too late are punished by life: It is completely incomprehensible and objectively not justified why the federal states defend themselves against alternating lessons, which are easy to implement for students from lower secondary level,” said GEW chairwoman Marlis Tepe the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND). Even if it becomes difficult: “For the elementary schools we have to look for additional rooms as soon as possible so that the distances in the classes can be maintained,” Tepe also explained.
In the original paper for the video switching between the Chancellor and the Prime Minister, for example, halving the classes and looking for additional space were suggested in order to be able to maintain the distances in the classes – supplemented by appropriate ventilation concepts, said Tepe. “Now is not the time to wipe sensible, targeted proposals off the table – in the hope that the number of infections would somehow decrease,” emphasized the union chairwoman. “Against the background of around 200,000 students who, according to the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs, are already in quarantine, and the more than 3,000 teachers infected with Corona, this is irresponsible and political adventurism.”
The chairman of the Association for Education and Upbringing (VBE), Udo Beckmann, stated that the federal states are now required to rework. “Decisions urgently awaited by teachers, parents and students and more clarity about how to proceed have not been canceled, but have been postponed again,” he told the RND.
“For the further procedure, it is also crucial that measures are not simply ordered across the board without taking into account the actual number of new infections, the available resources and the necessary preparation time for the implementation of certain types of schooling,” said Beckmann. He demanded that clear values should be named, for which certain measures were due.
Communication between ministries and schools must also be improved. “It is simply not acceptable for school administrators and teachers to find out from the newspaper or Monday morning at 7 a.m. how they have to teach this week,” said Beckmann.
–
