Abitur in Hessen: Unclear until shortly before the end

In Hesse, the school administrators are working hard to prepare the Abitur exams. Voices from teachers and students.

Second take. As in 2020, students in Germany have to write their Abitur under difficult conditions.

“By Friday afternoon there were actually more questions than answers,” says Gerhard Köhler, headmaster of the Heinrich von Gagern grammar school in Frankfurt. That was how long he had to wait for final regulations from the Ministry of Culture to take the state high school diploma – even though the first exams are supposed to take place on Wednesday.

What is certain is that students are exempt from the mask requirement during the exams, provided they present a negative Corona test result that is not older than 72 hours. At Heinrich-von-Gagern-Gymnasium, such voluntary tests must always be carried out in the school, under the supervision of the teaching staff.

Köhler is a little surprised at this decision: “I don’t know of any other social area in which one is currently allowed to spend long periods of time in closed rooms, with a distance and ventilation, but without a mask.” So far, he has not been able to say what level of acceptance this decision hits students, parents and colleagues.

His colleague Siglinde Lischka from the Ludwig-Georgs-Gymnasium in Darmstadt is primarily concerned about how well her 70 high school graduates accept the voluntary self-tests. “Which high school graduate can be tested if he is in danger of being excluded from high school?” Asks the headmistress.

The Ministry of Culture grants so-called mask breaks so that the pupils do not experience any disadvantages due to the mouth and nose protection. In the basic course, students get 25 extra minutes, in the advanced course 30 minutes of exam time, during which they can go to the windows in the corridors unmasked. It is still unclear whether the test subjects who do not have to wear a mask will still get more time. “The question of equal treatment is still open here,” says Gerhard Köhler.

In order to be able to adhere to the general Corona hygiene concept, the two sports halls, the auditorium and several classrooms at the Heinrich-von-Gagern-Gymnasium are used for the exams. “The sports halls are the best places because they each have their own ventilation system and also allow the greatest possible distance with the greatest possible volume of space,” says Köhler. At his grammar school, the distances between the tables are set that go well beyond the minimum distance of one and a half meters. “This is safer and means that we don’t need any additional protective measures such as Plexiglas panes,” explains the school principal. In Darmstadt, the city has even equipped the entire Ludwig-Georgs-Schule with ventilation devices.

Headmistress Siglinde Lischka looks forward to graduation confidently: “We have been playing this game for a year. We could prepare better. The student body is not as excited as last time either. “