Berlin (dpa/lhe) – The state ministers of education have called on the federal government to extend the Corona catch-up program. “Six weeks of school closures throw the children back more than six weeks,” said Hessian Minister of Education Alexander Lorz (CDU) on Friday at the end of the Conference of Ministers of Education (KMK) in Berlin. Because of the long-term effects, you need significantly more time and staying power.
The federal government had launched the 2021 catch-up program. It consists of two pillars: Around one billion euros is available for learning support programs, another billion for increasing social projects for children, young people and families. The program is intended to help cushion the consequences of school closures during the corona pandemic, such as educational deficits and mental health problems.
“In our view, the extension and increase of this program is essential,” said Hamburg’s education senator Ties Rabe (SPD). The KMK specifically demanded a further 500 million euros and a continuation of the program until the end of the 2023/2024 school year. She also reiterated her stance that schools must remain open during the pandemic.
“The school closures of recent years have been proven to have serious negative effects on the mental and physical health and learning success of children and young people. Renewed nationwide school closures must therefore be ruled out in the future,” it said.
Another subject of the consultations was the tense staffing situation in the education sector, which is being exacerbated by the fact that around 140,000 Ukrainian children and young people are now registered at schools. The national education report presented on Thursday focused on the shortage of skilled workers. The Standing Scientific Commission of the KMK – a scientific advisory body – is now to develop recommendations on how to recruit more teachers and how existing resources can be better used.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220624-99-785102/3
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